Conditioner Rod Starkewski scored a hat trick on the 11-race card at Century Downs on Saturday (March 5) which included a victory in the $10,500 co-featured pace by Crackle N Burn.
Driver Phil Giesbrecht grabbed command with Crackle N Burn from the outermost post in the field scratched to five. On the point, the six-year-old Blue Burner gelding received nothing but respect and dictated a tempo of :27.1, :56.2 and 1:25.2 under minimal pressure. The main challenge came in the stretch when Shark Week surged down the center of the course to try and take the lead late, but Crackle N Burn held firm at the cones to win by a neck in 1:55. Outlaw Gunsablazin sat a pocket trip to finish third and Codename Cigar Box took fourth.
Owned by Starkewski, Crackle N Burn won his second race from six starts this season and his 18th from 78 overall, lifting his earnings to $223,572. He paid $4.70 to win and was the second winner of Starkewski’s hat trick, with his first on the day being Outlaw Blue Isle ($3.70) and his last coming with YV Angels Envy ($74.70).
If Only Id Known popped pocket to win the $10,500 co-featured pace for fillies and mares earlier in the card. The four-year-old Shadow Play mare led the field by a :27.4 first quarter before yielding control to Stash The Cookies, who then led uncontested to a :56 half and three-quarters in 1:24.4 Driver Dave Kelly mounted his bid out of the pocket with If Only Id Known coming into the stretch and they edged by the pacesetter to land a half-length victory at the beam in 1:53.3. Pure Addition finished third, another five lengths behind, with Bearcat Josi taking fourth.
Co-owned by trainer Chris Lancaster with Rob Stashek Holdings Ltd., If Only Id Known won her first race from eight starts this season and her eighth from 30 overall, pushing her earnings to $90,422. She paid $15.30 to win.
Trainer Robert Smith of St. Albert, Alta. collected the first training victory of his career early in the card. With 26 starts spanning back to 2011, the conditioner visited the winner’s circle for the first time after Dubai Seelster ($7.30) posted a 1:59.1 victory in a $4,900 conditioned pace with Dave Kelly in the bike.
To view Saturday’s harness racing results, click the following link: Saturday Results – Century Downs.