Upsets were the order of the day in both of the major races on the Saturday, June 1 card at Century Downs.
Both the Alberta Sires Stakes (ABSS) Alberta Marksman final and the Preferred Pace featured upsets during a race card that was otherwise generally friendly for favourites. Public choices took six of the 12 races on the docket.
In the $54,800 Alberta Marksman final for three-year-old colts and geldings, Tzilacatzin converted a perfect pocket trip with Chris Brown at the lines to catch One Hot Minute (Brandon Campbell) in the shadow of the wire to win by a head in 1:54.4. Tzilacatzin set a new lifetime mark in the process. One Hot Minute had set opening fractions of :28.2, :57.3 and 1:25.2 before grudgingly yielding in the final strides.
Brown also trains the son of Captive Audience out of the Lil Dude Starrbuck mare Legs Like Tina for breeder and owner Jennifer Clark of Ponoka, Alta. Tzilacatzin paid $54.30 to win in notching his first win from nine starts this year. The brown gelding has won two times in 15 lifetime outings and has now banked $42,435.
In the $25,000 Preferred Pace, trainer-driver Nathan Sobey guided Icy Blue Scooter around the Rocky View oval for a wire-to-wire victory. Icy Blue Scooter established a new season's best with a final time of 1:52.4.
Sobey co-owns the 11-year-old bay gelding with Diane Bertrand of Edmonton, Alta. and Robert Gilhespy of Lake Country, B.C. It was the first win in nine starts this year for the veteran son of Blue Burner. Icy Blue Scooter has now visited the winner's circle 44 times in 217 lifetime starts and has amassed earnings of $414,296.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click the following link: Saturday Results - Century Downs.
(Standardbred Canada)