Itll Be Fine stung last week's Preferred winner West Coast Beach through a quick opening quarter then shot through the passing lane to catch that rival at the end in a Fraser Downs photo finish on Friday, March 7.
Following a closing third-place finish in his season's debut a week ago in the $10,000 Preferred, the Rick Lancaster-trained Itll Be Fine was sent postward as the 4-5 favourite. Firing off the gate from post four this time out, Itll Be Fine and driver Dave Hudon parked 2-1 outsider West Coast Beach and Scott Knight through a :26.3 first quarter.
Once West Coast Beach cleared to command off the first turn, Whiplash Smile and Allan Molloy swept up to challenge in front of the stands. Those two battled on top through middle splits of :56.1 and 1:24.2 with West Coast Beach holding onto a short lead all the way through the stretch until Itll Be Fine got up in the final strides to steal the glory, scoring in 1:53.1 by a nose.
Itll Be Fine returned $3.70 to win. His stablemate, Rum N Raisins, also closed inside of runner-up West Coast Beach and finished third by less than a length for John Abbott, with Whiplash Smile fading to fourth and Waitin Ona River, driven by Kevin Anderson, completing the field that was scratched down to just five.
Owned by Lancaster and Leslie Godlien of Langley, B.C., the six-year-old Hes Watching-Modern Hanover gelding, who earned 11 of his 27 career wins last year, now sports a bankroll totalling $246,288.
Itll Be Fine was the third winner driven by Hudon on the nine-race card, following back-to-back victories earlier in the night with his own trainees Boothill Hudy and Therealllkents.
The Rebecca Kanak stable remained red-hot at the Fraser meet with half a dozen starters finishing no worse than second on Friday's card, including the streaking Tzilacatzin ($3.20). The four-year-old Captive Audience-Legs Like Tina gelding continued a win streak he started last November with a 5-3/4-length romp in 1:53.4 for his fifth straight win. Brandon Campbell drove the homebred, who is two-for-two this year, for owner Jennifer Clark.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Fraser Downs.
(Standardbred Canada)