Sending out all four elimination winners in the $59,000 Alberta Sires Stakes Alberta Princess final on Saturday at Alberta Downs, trainer Keith Clark had the odds in his favour to pick up a win
, and sure enough one of his three-year-old pacing fillies delivered.
After winning her elimination in 1:59.3 one week ago at the one-mile Lacombe track, Queen Of Swing turned in her best effort to date with a 1:56 victory this afternoon.
Driven by Bobby Clark, Queen Of Swing got away sixth from Post 5 while River Lass (Kelly Hoerdt) crossed over from her outside post position and sprinted to the opening quarter in :26.2. The field remained in single-file alignment to the half in :55.4, where Chupacabra (Doug Chappell) tipped to the outside from fourth flushing Queen Of Swing’s co-favoured entrymate, Rossridge Tristar (Keith Clark), from the pocket.
River Lass continued to lead past three-quarters in 1:24.3 but couldn't hold off her rivals, who began to fire in the stretch. As the field spread across the track turning for home, Queen Of Spring found room between horses and kicked home to win in a career-best 1:56 over a track rated “good.” Devon Cream (Jamie Gray) came on for second with the Clark-trained Wrangler Raine (Don Monkman Jr.) rounding out the top three.
Unraced at two, Queen Of Swing, a homebred daughter of As Promised-Western Appeal, has put together a record of 4-4-1 in 12 starts earning $22,635 for trainer and owner Keith Clark.
In this week’s edition of the $10,000 Fillies & Mares Open Pace, Goodbadanddeugly N went wire-to-wire, carving out fractions of :27.4, :59 and 1:27.4 en route to victory in 1:55.2 for driver J.F. Gagne and trainer Michael Charlton. The eight-year-old Badlands Hanover-Perfect Parcel mare, who was just 1/5th of a second off her lifetime mark, was followed under the wire by Second Fancy (Don Monkman Jr.) and Starring Role (Brandon Campbell).
Goodbadanddeugly N paid $5.30 to win as the popular choice in the field of five. One Last Horse Stable of Edmonton, AB owns the back-to-back winner, who has put together a record of 2-4-2 in 11 starts this year banking $24,590. The victory was her 11th lifetime and pushed her total earnings to $91,489.
To view Saturday's results, click here.