Homebred pacing mare Tajmeallover continued her undefeated four-year-old campaign at Century Downs on Saturday afternoon, winning the new Calgary racetrack's first ever stakes event.
Tajmeallover won the first of three $14,000 divisions of the Prairie Girls Stakes for three and four-year-old female pacers.
With four prior wins this year at Fraser Downs, 1-5 favourite Tajmeallover made it five in a row as she wore down the pacesetting Sobia Hanover (Connie Kolthammer) after a heated exchange around the final turn. The runner-up had led through panels of :29.4, :59 and 1:27.4 while Tajmeallover advanced three-wide around eventual third-place finisher G Ts Jamie (Bill Tainsh Jr.) and then eventually took over command in the stretch for the 1:57.2 triumph.
Driver J.F. Gagne also co-owns the Tajma Hall-Watch Over Me mare with Peter Van Seggelen, Carl Warnaar and Joe Tinelli.
In the second division, sophomore filly Thats Extra was triumphant in a new lifetime mark of 1:58.3 for trainer/driver Kelly Hoerdt and owners Blair and Erna Corbeil.
Sent postward as the 5-2 second choice, the daughter of Allamerican Native-Hidden Cost made her move from fourth down the backstretch to take over command before opening up on top to win by six lengths over Shaleslittlespirit (Philip Giesbrecht) and Sacred Valley (Bill Tainsh Jr.). Royal Clash (Rod Hennessy) finished fourth after leading through fractions of :27.3, :56.1 and 1:27.2.
Thats Extra was making her second start at Century Downs after finishing second in her season's debut during opening weekend to the third Prairie Girls division favourite Sportsonthebeach.
Sportsonthebeach (Travis Cullen) launched her attack down the backstretch on the front-runner, Wrapped To Go (Connie Kolthammer), who had retaken the lead after the :29-second opening quarter. Wrapped To Go reached the half in :58.4 before feeling the pressure from the favourite through three-quarters in 1:28.3. However, down the stretch 5-1 second choice Freesia came through between the pair to break up the fight and score the 1:58 victory with Jamie Gray aboard. After her early appearance on the front-end, Everymoveapicture (Bill Tainsh Jr.) closed on the outside for second-place honours, edging out Sportsonthebeach and Wrapped To Go in a photo finish one and three-quarter lengths behind the winner.
The win was Freesia's first this year from six starts. Dorothy Jones owns and bred the four-year-old chestnut mare by Glance Alworth out of Freesia La Belle while Joseph O'Brien handles the training duties.
Sing Like An Angel, driven by Brandon Campbell, was a 1:55.3 winner in the $10,500 Fillies & Mares Open Pace for trainer Travis Cullen.
Cullen, who is off to a great start at the first Century Downs meet, is the only trainer to win an Open event so far at Canada's newest track as he also swept last weekend's top classes.
Sing Like An Angel, the 3-2 favourite, brushed around early leader G Ts Selene (Bill Tainsh Jr.) after the :28.1 opening quarter and fronted the field through middle splits of :56.3 and 1:27.2 before sealing the deal with :28.1 kicker. G Ts Selene finished four lengths behind with American Passion (Gerry Hudon) following in third. Feelin Flush, the winner's stablemate who won last weekend with Cullen aboard, finished fourth after a first over journey.
Cullen shares ownership of Sing Like An Angel with Keith and Margaret Hannah, and Jodie Cullen. The win was the 25th lifetime for the five-year-old daughter of Bettors Delight.
Live harness racing continues on Sunday, May 3 featuring three divisions of the Prairie Boys Stakes. First race post time is 2 p.m.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Century Downs.