A trio of late closers, including a 21-1 longshot, prevailed in the $7,500 Alberta Plainsman eliminations for three-year-old pacing colts on Sunday afternoon over a heavy Alberta Downs racetrack
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Bachelor Pad kicked off the elimination action with a 1:59.4 victory for trainer-driver Gerry Hudon.
Silent Rescue (John Chappell) took control of the field from Post 5 with Red Star Chuckles (Don Monkman Jr.) parked out in second during :27.2 opening quarter.
As Silent Rescue led the way to the half in :58.2, trailing tier starter Takem Todakleaners (J.F. Gagne) rolled up from fourth and went wide around Red Star Chuckles with Bachelor Pad and Hudon following that move from fifth.
Takem Todakleaners applied first over pressure to three-quarters in 1:27.4 while Bachelor Pad dropped into a gapping two-hole. Silent Rescue held Takem Todakleaners at bay as they moved into the stretch while Bachelor Pad searched for racing room, eventually scooting out and getting up in the final strides for the 1:59.4 victory. Silent Rescue finished one length behind in second and Takem Todakleaners was third.
The Adios Pick winner is now two-for-five this year with close to $16,000 earned for Hudon and co-owners R. Lynn Kowalevsky of Airdrie and Monica Hudon of Edmonton, Alta. The chestnut gelding, a son of Brandons Cowboy-Duplex, now boasts career earnings of almost $90,000. He returned $4.50 to win as the odds-on favourite.
Outlawdangruswatrs broke his maiden in the second elimination while pulling off a 21-1 shocker.
Sent postward as the longest shot on the board, the Connie Kolthammer-trained and driven colt settled into fourth place while Vice On Ice (Kelly Hoerdt) took control of the field.
Vice On Ice carved out fractions of :29.1, :59.3 and 1:28.3 with favourite Hollywood Warrior (Gerry Hudon) leading the outer flow and grabbing the lead into the stretch.
Meanwhile, Kolthammer moved Outlawdangruswatrs off the rail around the final turn and ducked in between horses to find a clear path on the outside. The son of Smart Shark-Eyes On Sarah blew by the field in the late stages for the 1:59.1 triumph, beating out Hollywood Warrior by half a length. Red Star Big City (Jamie Gray) was third.
Owned and bred by the Outlaw Stable of Falun, Alta., Outlawdangruswatrs earned his first win in six lifetime starts. He paid $45.70 for the upset.
Wannabe Cowboy rallied from the backfield to score a mild 7-1 upset in the final elimination for trainer-driver Ryan Grundy.
Battle River Storm (Jeff Stone) took the lead off the gate and set the tempo with fractions of :28, :58.4 and 1:28.3.
Meanwhile, Wannabe Cowboy got away eighth and moved underway flushing out cover. The Brandons Cowboy-Cam And Get It gelding went wide from the third over position past the third quarter mark and unleashed a :26.3 final kicker to get up for the one length score in a lifetime best clocking of 1:56 flat. The first over favourite, Silver Eagle (Bill Tainsh Jr.), and second over Red Star Tiger (Jamie Gray) rounded out the top three.
Grundy co-owns the winner of three races in 16 seasonal starts with Arthur Grundy of Ste Anne, MB. The win was Wannabe Cowboy’s fourth lifetime and lifted his bankroll to $22,870. He paid $16.10 to win.
Sunday’s card also featured an $8,800 Fillies & Mares Open Pace (optional claiming) in which With Bells On scored a 1:57.4 victory for trainer-driver Kelly Hoerdt, who co-owns with partner Blair Corbeil of Beaumont, Alta.
For results from Sunday's harness racing card, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Alberta Downs.