Pebble Creek was first to cross the wire in the $6,000 Fillies and Mares Open Pace in the opening race on Friday (June 21) at Northfield Park.
She is trained by Virgil Morgan Jr. for owner Debbie Bird of Harwood, Ont. Morgan listed Wyatt Irvine to drive.
Pebble Creek (Modern Art-Hayser Creek-Threefold) started from post five and sat the pocket though ambitious fractions of :27.3, :56.3 and 1:24.4. Irvine pulled the mare in the stretch and she was a half-length better than her competition, stopping the timer in 1:53.2. The mile time represents a new lifetime mark for the six-year-old pacer.
Completing the race were It Must Be Magic, Posey Patch, Miss Two Punch, Fly To The Angels, Make A Call and Osbornes Sweeper.
Pebble Creek now has 11 career wins and earnings of $142,030. She returned $11.40 to win.
Friday’s win represents the 132nd training win this year for Morgan Jr. His win tally ranks him as the fourth winningest trainer in North America. Only Ron Burke (468), Rene Allard (211) and Richard Moreau (141) have more training wins so far in 2013 than Morgan Jr.
Kurt Sugg drove five winners on the Friday card, including Shez Good Osborne ($2.60) in race eight, Tame The Dame ($23.00) in race nine, Badlands Brownie ($3.00) in race 12, Cherry Rebel ($4.60) in race 13 and Royal Cam Osborne ($5.00) in race 14.
Forty-three-year-old Sugg started driving in 1986 and has since garnered 2,230 career victories and is approaching $9 million in purse earnings.
(Northfield Park)