Century Downs celebrated its 10th anniversary on Wednesday, April 2 with its first card of harness racing conducted under its newly-installed lighting system.
In concert with the nighttime card, Century held a 10th anniversary gala, with invitees and attendees including Dale Nally, Alberta's Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction, local MLA Angela Pitt as well as representatives from all the Alberta racetracks, ASHA, HBPA, CTHS, WPCA, AGLC and executives from Century Casinos.
As part of the 10th anniversary celebrations, Century Downs introduced its own beer — Get Lucky Lager, a collaboration with Born Brewing.
Before the on-track activity, there was also a ribbon cutting ceremony to commemorate the track lighting project with representatives from the aforementioned groups a part of the festivities.
The main event during the seven-dash card over the track rated 'good' featured a better than good group of distaffers in the $16,000 Fillies & Mares Preferred Pace. A compact field of five went postward in the third race, with fairly even support offered to 6-5 choice Red N Ready, 8-5 second choice Sunshineatthebeach and 2-1 Goodbye Ceia Later.
With those three horses receiving that much support in a field of five, 17-1 shot Century Mach and 31-1 choice Outlaw Blue Isle appeared to be on the proverbial outside looking in. And for the first seven-eighths or so of the mile, that's exactly how the race shaped up.
Red N Ready (Brandon Campbell) scooted out from post two once the gate wings folded to gain early command, but post five starter Sunshineatthebeach (Kelly Hoerdt) had sights on a front-end mission once the inside four dropped down to the pylons and left no room for a tuck. Hoerdt asked Sunshineatthebeach to press on through a :27.1 opening quarter, eventually clearing to the top around the three-eighths mark. Pressure would be applied by Goodbye Ceia Later (Mike Hennessy) after the :56.3 half, with Century Mach (Logan Gillis) following that cover into the outer flow.
Goodbye Ceia Later continued that first-over grind through three quarters in 1:25.3 but couldn't collar Sunshineatthebeach. As the field turned for home, Sunshineatthebeach's lead diminished to a half length, but that's as close as Goodbye Ceia Later could get. However, after saying adios to that rival, Gillis and Century Mach loomed the danger from that second-over tow. Gillis tipped into the three path turning for home and his mare hit the afterburners with the wire in her sights. A :29.2 final quarter sealed the deal for Century Mach, tripping the timer in 1:55.2 some two lengths to the good over longshot Outlaw Blue Isle (Dave Kelly). Sunshineatthebeach stayed for show honours.
A seven-year-old mare by JK Royal Flush out of Mach Away, Century Mach (pictured above) is trained by lessee Shelly Arsenault of Sherwood Park, Alta. With her second win of the year, Century Mach notched her 34th lifetime victory and lifted her career bankroll over the quarter-million dollar mark to boast $257,154 in earnings. She paid $37.70 to win.
After a seven-race win streak to end 2024, Baby Limbo is streaking again in 2025. The four-year-old daughter of Captain Crunch - Wanda Bayama picked up her fifth straight win in a $8,900 conditioned event prior to the Preferred. Brandon Campbell engineered the winning effort, a 1:56.3 win by more than two lengths, for owner Don Howlett of West St. Paul, Man. and trainer Mathew Howlett. That win is her 13th in 20 lifetime appearances, and she hasn't finished worse than second in seven seasonal starts.
Live harness racing returns to Century Downs on Saturday, April 5 with first post at 12:45 p.m. (MDT).
To view the results from the first card of nighttime harness racing at Century Downs, click the following link: Wednesday Results - Century Downs.
(Standardbred Canada)