The driver and trainer team of Mike and Rod Hennessy swept the Gordon Rumpel Stakes on Sunday afternoon (June 12) at Century Downs with three-year-old male pacers Blue Star Maverick and Blue Star Jet winning the back-to-back $21,000 divisions.
Both winners are owned by Edmonton's Lorne Duffield, with Rod Hennessy sharing ownership of Blue Star Jet.
Blue Star Maverick was six lengths the best in the first division for the Hennessys. The As Promised-Ranch Dressing colt took the lead from post four and carved out panels of :29.1, :59 and 1:27.2 en route to the easy victory in 1:56.3. Classy Artist (Rod Starkewski) followed in the pocket spot while Make It Big (Rene Goulet) closed from the back of the pack to finish third.
Sent postward as the 9-2 third choice on the toteboard, Blue Star Maverick paid $11.30 to win. Favourite Outlaw Turn N Burn (J.F. Gagne) broke stride when making a three-wide move at the third quarter mark.
Blue Star Maverick made his first stakes start a winning one in the Rumpel and the time of the mile was his fastest yet. Unraced as a two-year-old, he now has four wins, three second-place finishes and one third in 12 career starts with earnings of $25,753.
Blue Star Jet also scored a front-end victory after firing from post six in the next division and leading the field through fractions of :28.4, :58.2 and 1:26.2. Wrangler Cash (Kelly Hoerdt) prompted a two-horse breakaway as he tipped out from the pocket during the third quarter, but Blue Star Jet held him off for the one-length victory in 1:56 flat. Keep Coming (Travis Bowman) followed 12-1/2 lengths back in third.
Blue Star Jet was the 3-5 favourite and paid $3.40 to win.
The Blue Burner-Movin Uptown gelding was a multiple stakes winner during his freshman campaign and now boasts a career record reading 6-3-2 from 13 starts and a bankroll of $70,594.
In Open action, Ashleigh and Ed Hensley's eight-year-old Rocknroll Hanover gelding Audreys Dream ($2.50) earned his sixth straight victory. Handicapped outside of his five rivals, the 1-9 overwhelming favourite followed in fourth-place early on before advancing first over from fourth at the :56 half-mile mark. He went head-to-head with the pacesetting Get Thereovernight (Kelly Hoerdt) through three-quarters in 1:24.3 before drawing off in the stretch for his 30th career win. Audreys Dream prevailed by two and three-quarter lengths over the Nobettorplacetobe (Travis Cullen), who fanned wide off a pocket trip coming off the final turn, while Get Thereovernight finished third.
Alberta's leading horseman Travis Cullen dominated the undercard with four training/driving wins.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Century Downs.