The $10,000 Open Handicap Pace ended in a photo finish for the second week in a row at Fraser Downs with the Rebecca Kanak-trained Tzilacatzin prevailing this time over favourite Itll Be Fine and pacesetting stablemate West Coast Beach on Friday, April 18.
The victory completed a sweep of this week's Open events at Fraser for Kanak and driver Brandon Campbell, who also teamed up on Thursday night with Born A Spy to win the distaff division.
In the Good Friday feature, the Rick Lancaster trainees flashed early gate speed leaving together with even-money favourite Itll Be Fine (Dave Hudon) forging ahead of Rum N Raisins (John Abbott) before the first turn, but the parked outside assignee West Coast Beach (Kelly Hoerdt) pressed on to clear just past the :26.4 quarter marker. Tzilacatzin followed in fourth before catching live cover on the backside while his stablemate led the way in search of a straight Open win.
With West Coast Beach backing down the pace to the half in :56.4, Rum N Raisins then took his shot and applied pressure first-over to three-quarters in 1:25.1 before Campbell sent Tzilacatzin three-wide for the stretch drive. Itll Be Fine re-emerged with a late lead in the passing lane over the duelling duo but Tzilacatzin was flying on the far outside and collared the favourite in a win photo, prevailing in 1:53.2 by a head. West Coast Beach held on for third over late-closer Outlaw C My Shadow (Tyson Jacoby) and Rum N Raisins in a another photo finish.
Tzilacatzin was just a half-length off West Coast Beach and Itll Be Fine in a photo finish last week and got up for his first Open victory on Friday, paying $7.20 as the 5-2 second choice. The Alberta Sires Stakes graduate, who arrived at Fraser in November and won five races in a row, has been knocking at the door in recent weeks at the Open level for Kanak.
A homebred Captive Audience-Legs Like Tina gelding, Tzilacatzin now sports a career record reading 9-4-4 from 38 starts with more than $80,000 earned for owner Jennifer Clark of Ponoka, Alta.
Kanak and Campbell also joined forces for a Friday night victory with West Coast Beach's half-brother, Dillon James ($3.10), who prevailed in the class for $8,000 claimers for the second week in a row, holding off Billy Buxton (Kelly Hoerdt) by a neck in 1:54.3.
Trainer Erik Neyhart's five-year-old pacer Tahuya Devil ($3.10) continued his own winning ways as he extended his streak to seven in a $7,000 conditioned class, leading wire-to-wire in 1:53.2 with Scott Knight in the sulky. The son of American Ideal out of Sweet Devil never had an anxious moment as he cut fractions of :27.3, :57.1 and 1:25.3 en route to the 1-3/4-length victory, with Key Dragon (Kelly Hoerdt) edging out More Monet (Brandon Campbell) in the race for place.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Fraser Downs.
(Standardbred Canada)