Alberta's 2012 top provincial bred two-year-olds, Premium Attaction and Crackers Hot Shot, returned to their winning ways on Sunday afternoon in stakes action at Alberta Downs.
Premium Attaction and Crackers Hot Shot scored their first sophomore stakes victories over a 'good' racing surface in divisions of the Adios Pick for colts and Wild Rose for fillies, which was rescheduled to Sunday's card after the Lacombe track's Saturday program was cancelled due to rain.
Trainer-driver Kelly Hoerdt sent Premium Attaction to the lead from post three in his $20,000 Adios Pick division and carved out fractions of :28.1, :58.3 and 1:26.4 before rebuffing the pocket-pulling American Venture (Keith Clark) en route to a two and a half length victory in a career-best clocking of 1:55.1. Lisvinnie (Rod Hennessy) and Brenin (Jamie Gray) finished second and third.
Hoerdt also co-owns the Clintons Cigar-Themaneattacktion colt, who has seven wins in 11 starts on his lifetime record, with Blair Corbeil of Beaumont, Alta. The victory pushed Premium Attaction's earnings to over $90,000.
Blue Star Admiral and driver Bill Tainsh Jr. won the other Adios Pick division, prevailing by a head in 1:55.4 over Aerial Time (John Chappell). The Camystic-Movin Uptown colt sat fourth for most of the mile before sprinting home in :28-seconds for the victory. Tip Top Tap (Rod Hennessy) was third-placed-fourth while Beren Hanover (Keith Clark), who led through fractions of :27.4, :58 and 1:27.3, inherited the show spot.
Glenn Lutz trains the winner of over $70,000 in purses for William and Dianne Neish of High River, Alta. Blue Star Admiral earned his fifth career win while making his 14th start.
Tainsh Jr. picked up another stakes victory steering Crackers Hot Shot wire-to-wire in a $20,000 Wild Rose division later on the card. The Camcracker-Shesahotshot filly, trained and owned by Rod Starkewski of Lamont, Alta., fought off Beach Baby (Bobby Clark) to remain undefeated in two sophomore starts. She established the lead from post five and carved out fractions of :28.1, :58.2, and 1:27.2 en route to the career-best 1:56.4 triumph by a head. Barona Lilac (Kelly Hoerdt) finished third.
Crackers Hot Shot is now seven-for-nine in her career with earnings totalling $57,661.
Skade also won a division of the Wild Rose for Hoerdt, who trains and co-owns the Dragon Again-Pucker Up filly with Blair and Erna Corbeil. She led the field through fractions of :28.3, 1:01 and 1:29.1 while turning back Wish I Was (Keith Clark) and holding off American Passion (Gerry Hudon) for the three-quarter length victory in 1:57.3. Kiss My Crouper (Ryan Grundy) finished four lengths behind in third.
The victory was Skade's first in the province after racing in Pennsylvania for her freshman campaign and third in seven career starts. She's banked $34,893 in purses to date.
In regular racing action, Flak Jacket won the $8,500 Open Pace for the third consecutive time, rallying from off-the-pace to prevail by two lengths in 1:53.4. Trainer/driver Jamie Gray drove the six-year-old Brandons Cowboy-Jackies Whacky gelding to his 20th career win for partners Neil Malloch of Wetaskiwin, Alta. and Fred Gilbert and Richard Osterbeck of Brandon, MB. Kg Explorer (Rene Goulet) and Trust The Artist (Kelly Hoerdt) rounded out the top three finishers.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Alberta Downs.