Excessive and Eden Shooter were each victorious in the $7,500 eliminations for the Clarence 'Sugar' Gagnon Memorial while Cantbeatacheetah won the weekly $10,500 Open Pace during Sunday's harness racing card at Fraser Downs.
Excessive battled back after being headed by favourite I Dont Really Care at the third quarter mark and prevailed by half a length, equalling his lifetime mark of 1:58 over the sloppy track rated two seconds off. The 7-2 second choice paid $9.50 to win. Longshot Hosisahos finished second with I Dont Really Care hanging on for third despite baring out badly in the stretch. David Hudon trains and drives the winning four-year-old son of No Pan Intended for owner William Boden of Vancouver. Sunday's victory was his first of the year.
In the second elimination, favourite Eden Shooter held on by a head at the wire for a 1:58.3 triumph over Outlawishfulthinkn and Tahunya Rico. He returned $3.10 to his backers. The four-year-old son of Sand Shooter, who has now won three races in eight seasonal starts, is trained and driven by Scott Knight for Richard Knight of Sooke, B.C.
It was another close finish in the Open as Shelley Eng's homebred pacer Canbeatacheetah ($11.40) prevailed from second over in 1:55 by a neck over American Venture. Big N Bad edged out pacing mare Prairie Illusion in a photo for third, half a length behind. The Warrawee Hero gelding, a close runner-up in his last start, earned the first win of his six-year-old campaign. Four-time Sunday winner Jim Marino was in the sulky.
Bill Davis also had multiple wins on Sunday's card and earned his first of two with Western Baron, who is now undefeated in six starts this year. Owned and bred by Mate Hecimovic, the nine-year-old son of Astreos went wire-to-wire in 1:57.3 in his $6,000 claiming assignment.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Fraser Downs.