Undefeated in his sophomore season, Jewels Dragon roared home to defeat fellow elimination winner Spiderdman in the $35,000 Wendell Smith Memorial for B.C. bred three-year-old male pacers on Friday night (April 12) at Fraser Downs.
Mr Saturday Night got the first call leaving out from post five but a rough-gaited Kootenay Mystery refocused to shoot through inside and take command. His lead was short-lived though as Spiderdman drove on to clear after a :27.1 quarter. While he fronted the field of nine through a :57.4 half and three-quarters in 1:26, Jewels Dragon swung three-wide around stalled cover under Kelly Hoerdt's guidance then rallied by the pocket-pulling Kootenay Mystery and paced away to a career-best 1:54.3 victory. Unleashing a :27.4 final kicker, he downed Spiderdman by 2-1/4 lengths, with Mr Saturday Night out-finishing Kootenay Mystery in a photo for show.
The 3-5 favourite earned his fourth victory in as many starts this year, returning $3.20 to win.
Justin Currie trains the Custard The Dragon-Whitesand Jewel gelding owned by Paul Sanders of Surrey and Christine Cutting of Langley, B.C. The stakes victory was even more special for the connections with family ties to the late Wendell Smith.
The Smith Memorial was for non-winners of $30,000 lifetime as of December 31, 2018.
Hoerdt ended the 11-race card with four driving wins and a training triple that included the popular Mares Open winner Cusdmagicdragon, who collared the front-striding Tahiti Seelster by half a length in 1:53.3 with Paul Davies aboard.
In other action, Blaine Chappell celebrated his first driving victory on Friday in rein to his own trainee Cardinal Rule. The five-year-old Allamerican Navajo mare posted an 8-1 upset in the 10th race as a two-length winner in 1:55.3. It was just the ninth pari-mutuel start in the racebike for Chappell.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Fraser Downs.