Three-year-old pacing fillies Ladies From Hell and Tahuya Gameday proved to be the leaders of the pack scoring front-end victories in their respective $7,500 eliminations for the Marian Young Memorial on Friday night (March 24) at Fraser Downs.
The stakes event is for B.C. bred fillies that are non-winners of $30,000 lifetime. The $35,000 final is scheduled for next Friday, March 31 at Fraser Downs.
Inside starter Ladies From Hell carved out fractions of :29.3, :59.3 and 1:29.3 en route to her elimination win in 1:59.3 over the sloppy track for driver John Hudon. Tahuya Countess (Scott Knight) followed one and a half lengths behind off a pocket trip while slight favourite Orangevale Gazette (Paul Davies) moved first-up on the backstretch to ultimately hold her position in third.
Sent postward as the 3-2 second choice, Ladies From Hell paid $5.10 to win.
Justin Currie trains Ladies From Hell, who broke her maiden in her fourth career start for owner Dr. James Findlay of Maple Ridge, B.C. The Classic Card Shark-Jennys Place filly is a half-sister to $100,000-plus earners Alittleforplace and Lisplaced.
In the second elimination, Tahuya Gameday and driver John Abbott left outside leaver Attila The Hen (Clint Warrington Jr.) retreating to last as she forged to the lead from post three. The Mystery Chase-Under Five filly led the way through panels of :29.1, 1:01 and 1:30.2 where she was confronted by favourite Sustainedintensity (Serge Masse). However, Tahuya Gameday fought back and kicked away from that foe with a :28.4 final quarter to prevail by one and three-quarter lengths in 1:59.1. The winner's stablemate, Juana B A Tahuya (Jim Marino), followed five lengths behind in third.
Tahuya Gameday returned $8.20 to win as the 3-1 second choice.
The homebred filly is trained by Erik Neyhart, who also co-owns with Juan Samper of Langley, B.C. She has won both of her starts this year and half of her six races lifetime.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Fraser Downs.