There appears to be no stopping Who Doesnt, who is approaching the one-year mark of going undefeated. Alberta's reigning Horse of the Year has not lost a race since last Mother's Day, and on this Mother's Day Sunday he extended his win streak to 14 while dominating a field of Open pacers at Century Downs Racetrack and Casino.
With his four rivals off to an unenthusiastic start in the $10,500 first race feature, trainer/driver Travis Cullen elected to leave this time out with Who Doesnt and easily took command from post two. The 2-5 favourite rolled through fractions of :28.2 and :57.4 before powering away all on his own to three-quarters in 1:25.3. He built up a five length lead turning for home with the rest of the field chasing him down the stretch to no avail. Who Doesnt cruised home for the open-length triumph in 1:53.4, coming within one-fifth of a second off his all-age track record established in his last race two weeks ago. Ghost Pine (Kelly Hoerdt) and Blue Eyed Cowboy (Bobby Clark) finished second and third, respectively.
Cullen shares ownership of the six-year-old Mach Three gelding with his mother Jodie and family members Jeanne and Ken Cullen.
Who Doesnt's track record later did fall though when Medicine Hat went wire-to-wire in 1:53.2 in the $7,800 ninth race conditioned pace. Driven by Brandon Campbell the five-year-old Badlands Hanover gelding won by eight and a half lengths over Paddington Major (Rod Hennessy) and Cullen's favoured sophomore colt Captain Hazardous. Dan Sifert trains Medicine Hat for the Calgary-based Gusher Stable.
Campbell drove a total of four winners on the card, including a pair from his own stable. Cullen had a training-driving triple.
Sunday's card was marred by an accident in the second race that sent driver Tyler Redwood to hospital with a possible broken leg. Redwood was driving Doug Stout trainee Karate King around the final turn in sixth-place along the pylons when the horse fell. The rest of the backfield avoided collision and Karate King is doing fine suffering only a couple of small bumps and bruises.
Please join Standardbred Canada in wishing Redwood a full and speedy recovery.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Century Downs.