After having been sent off as the even-money second choice, Allamerica Native five-year-old Illwinifican captured Fraser Downs’ $11,000 Open Pace on Sunday, April 9 over the Surrey, BC oval.
With pilot James Burke in tow, Illwinifican lined up in Post 1 for Race 2 and let Boysgotfever (driven by Clinton Warrington Jr.) beat him to the first call in :27.2.
Burke had the Dennis Johnston trainee on his game in the second quarter of the dash, as the bay took over control of the proceedings before clicking off the half-mile timer in a tepid :30.2.
Illwinifican continued to do his business on the front in the third quarter, as he spun past the 1:26.1 third call while the odds-on choice, Buddy Weiser (Serge Masse), sat parked to his outside.
The outcome may have been different if Buddy Weiser did not sustain broken equipment during the late stages of the race, although, regardless, Illwinifican nailed the wire first, one and a quarter-length ahead of his foe.
Read The Proposal (Jim Marino) finished third, while Boysgotfever and Prodigal (John Abbott) picked up the final cheques.
Trainer Johnston co-owns Illwinifican along with partner Ray Thomson, who have now seen their gelding compile a career record of 15-11-2 from 38 career starts and bank over $169,000 in purses.
Jim Marino enjoyed a memorable – and very profitable – day at the office thanks to a five-win performance on the 13-race card.
Marino kicked off his day with a win in the opener behind Wrangler Cat – a mare from his own barn – in 1:57.4. He didn’t return to victory lane until a come-from-behind score with Whatkindofchance (1:58.2) in Race 7, but he followed up that victory with back-to-back triumphs. He wired them up in Race 8 with Angies Beach Boy (1:57) and came right back to take Race 9 with Alley Scat (1:56.4).
Jim Burke pulled off a 27-1 upset in Race 10 with the Jim Marino-trained Pillage And Burn (1:54.3), but Marino managed to rack up another sulky score in Race 12 with Drawing Dead (1:59.1) to complete his five-bagger.
Marino, who joined the 2,000-win club last season, has racked up 30 wins so far this year while piling up almost $200,000 in purse earnings along the way. He’s managed to push his lifetime purse earnings over $12.6 million to date.
To view the harness racing results for Sunday at Fraser, click the following link: Sunday Results – Fraser Downs.