After a nearly three-month hiatus, racing is set to return to Fraser Downs on Wednesday (March 17), and as expected, perennial kingpins Jim Marino and Kelly Hoerdt have chances galore on the 10-race program.
Marino, who has nine starters throughout the program, will send Sporty Dragon to post as the 8-5 morning line favourite in the evening's featured event, an $8,500 optional claiming pace carded as the ninth race. Like his five rivals, the four-year-old Custard The Dragon gelding will make his 2021 debut, and he does so after a 1:53.4 win in a Dec. 16 conditioned event, his fourth in 14 starts as a sophomore. Top Western Canadian reinsman Brandon Campbell has assumed the driving duties, and the pair will start from post three. His top competition in the opening night feature will likely come from Redneck Jim (post five, 9-5), who ended 202 with a string of minor placings in Open company. Trainer Dennis Johnson will drive the nine-year-old As Promised gelding.
Marino also has starters in both sub-featured $8,000 conditioned events: Moosette (Campbell, post two, 3-1) will take on four distaff rivals in the second, and his tandem of Shales Storm (Scott Knight, post two, 4-1) and Dontpokethedragon (Campbell, post five, 8-5) will line up against a trio of male competitors in the eighth.
Hoerdt's five starters on the program are led by Chazmichaelmichael, who has been installed the 2-1 favourite in the evening's final race, a $7,500 conditioned event. The four-year-old Custard The Dragon entire knocked heads with the tough Major Custard on the Alberta stakes circuit all season long in 2020, finishing fourth to him in the Western Canada Pacing Derby on Nov. 29 and third to him in the Brad Gunn at Century Mile on Dec. 12. Hoerdt, who will drive Chazmichaelmichael from post three, shares ownership with fellow breeder, Blair Corbeil.
Earlier on the card, Hoerdt will look to extend Thankyaverymuch's current win streak to three in a $7,500 claiming pace, carded as race five. The five-year-old son of Betterthancheddar rallied off cover to win his last two starts — and three of his last four — over lower-level claiming company in December.
To view Wednesday's complete entries, and program pages (courtesy TrackIT), click the following links: Entries | Program Pages