Three-year-old pacing fillies were in the spotlight on Saturday afternoon at Alberta Downs as they faced off in three Wild Rose Stakes divisions.
Barona Mercedes circled a field of seven to win the first $13,333 division in a career-best 1:56.1 clocking by four lengths for trainer/driver Kelly Hoerdt and his partners Amy Henry of Fort Saskatchewan, Alta. and Blair Corbeil of Beaumont, Alta.
Favourite Rummys Command (Keith Clark) battled three-wide early on for the lead before carving out fractions of :28, :58.3 and 1:27. Meanwhile, second choice Barona Mercedes advanced from the back of the pack and ducked into the pocket around the final turn before re-emerging to wear down the pacesetter in the stretch. Triple Action (Jamie Gray) finished nearly nine lengths back in third.
The lightly raced Brandons Cowboy-Insurance Fee filly is now two-for-two this year.
Rollin Deep was seven lengths the best in the second division. With John Chappell driving, she cleared to command at the quarter pole in :29-seconds and led the way through middle panels of :59.1 and 1:28 before sprinting home in :27.4 to secure the 1:55.4 career-best triumph. Pocket-sitter Mystic Return (Keith Clark) held off a from-last Jet Pointe for the runner-up honours.
The Ponder-Rapid Jenna filly, now four-for-12 this year, is trained by Shelley Arsenault for Edmonton owner Lucy Raymond.
The final division was the fastest as Charismatic Art and Nighttraintovegas battled to the wire and were inseparable in a photo finish. The pair was victorious in a dead-heat, clocking the mile in 1:55.3.
Charismatic Art and J.F. Gagne grabbed the lead easily from post one and fronted the field through splits of :29.2, 1:00 and 1:27.1 with favourite Nighttraintovegas and Brandon Campbell advancing first over from third and matching strides near the third quarter pole. Both fillies raced home in :28.2 to share the win. Make Three Wishes (Jim Marino) finished over eight lengths behind in third.
Charismatic Art (Artistic Fella-Yankee Charisma), now two-for-two in her debut season, is trained by Marjorie Dumont for Edmonton's Shir Win Racing Stable while Nighttraintovegas (Camystic-Midnight In Vegas) is conditioned by Richard Schneider for owners Dick Schneider of Sherwood Park, Alta. and David Halmosi of Edmonton. Nighttraintovegas was an Alberta Sires Stakes champion at two when she earned her 1:55 lifetime mark. Saturday's win was her first in two starts this year.
In regular racing action, former Wild Rose champion Blue Star Beauty earned her third straight win in a season's-best 1:55.2 in the $8,400 Fillies & Mares Open Pace for trainer Doug Stout and owner Derek Stout of Camrose, Alta.
The five-year-old As Promised-Whitesand Secret mare was a wire-to-wire winner (:28.2, :58.1, 1:26.2), holding off pocket-sitter Sing Like An Angel (Philip Giesbrecht), who squeezed through up the rail to finish three-quarters of a length behind. Clearly Best (Kim Dressler) advanced first over to show.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Alberta Downs.