Full of late pace, Ridgeline came flying home for his second consecutive victory and fourth in his last five starts on Friday night in the $13,000 Open Pace at Fraser Downs
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Ridgeline and trainer-driver Ed Hensley got away last from the outside Post 7, but worked out a winning trip to get up for the 1:53 score by a neck.
Beach Boy Toy (David Hudon) drove on to claim the early lead with Cash Account (Serge Masse) yielding on the inside during a :26.4 first quarter. During the second quarter, Lil Dude Starrbuck (Scott Knight) made a move from third and advanced on the leader with C A Maurader (James Burke) and 7-5 favourite Ridgeline following.
Beach Boy Toy put up a :56 half, but was overtaken by the challenging Lil Dude Starrbuck just before the 1:24 third quarter mark. Lil Dude Starrbuck opened up two and half-lengths on the field into the stretch before Ridgeline unleashed his :28.2 kicker to steal the spotlight. Lil Dude Starrbuck was followed under the wire by longshot Nazko Daytona (Jim Marino).
Ridgeline's victory was one of four on the 11-race card for Hensley and provided owners Casandra Uppal of Blaine, Washington and the J J J Stables of Aldergrove, B.C. with a double. The six-year-old gelded son of Ironridge-Humming Strings has put together a record reading 5-2-1 in nine outings so far this year and boasts $41,210 in earnings. The bay’s 24th lifetime score leaves him just under $4,000 shy of $300,000.
To view Friday’s results click here.