The Alberta Sires Stakes season kicked off on Canada Day (July 1) at Century Downs Racetrack and Casino with the Keith Clark-trained sophomore fillies Blue Star Texas and Cam Finish sweeping the $10,000 Princess eliminations.
Blue Star Texas followed slight 8-5 favourite Fire Watch (Travis Cullen) through fractions of :28, :57 and 1:26.2 before sweeping by that filly foe in the stretch for the 1:56.2 triumph. Fire Watch settled for second-place, finishing one and a half lengths behind, while Take On Da Boys (Rod Hennessy) trailed seven and a half lengths back in third.
A one-time winner in her freshman campaign, Blue Star Texas now has four wins in seven starts this year, including stakes finals of the Wild Rose last month at Century Downs and the Penny Bath Memorial in April at Fraser Downs. The Brandons Cowboy-Movin Uptown filly has banked $80,527 lifetime for her Alberta connections, owners Doris McDougall of Cochrane and Robert Jones of Slave Lake.
Cam Finish, the 8-5 favourite, prevailed off a three-hole trip in 1:59 after tracking down the pocket-pulling I Am Miss T (Bill Tainsh Jr.) and Mystery Song (Brandon Campbell), who had led through panels of :28.1, :58 and 1:27.4. I Am Miss T finished a quarter-length behind in second while Twilight Raes (Gerry Hudon) edged out Mystery Song one length back for third.
The win was Cam Finish's first this year in three starts and second lifetime, pushing her earnings to $47,010. Clark shares ownership of the Camystic-Expensive Return filly with Calgary's John Hind and Verne Rea.
Three-year-old pacing colts and geldings also competed in the Alberta Plainsman leg with Hollywood Redneck and Outlaw Deacon Jim prevailing in their respective eliminations.
Sent postward at odds of 5-1, Hollywood Redneck and trainer/driver Gerry Hudon went wire-to-wire, leading through panels of :28.1, :57.2 and 1:26.4 before fighting off 8-5 favourite Pablos First (Philip Giesbrecht) down the stretch to win by a nose in a career-best clocking of 1:56.2. Johnny Gun (Jim Marino) rode the pocket to finish one and a half lengths behind in third.
The Brandons Cowboy-Cameezy colt has won half of his eight sophomore starts after going winless in six as a freshman. The lion's share of the purse lifted his earnings to $17,622. Hudon shares ownership of the homebred chestnut colt with William Boden of Vancouver, B.C. and local owner Donald McDougall.
Driven by Paul Davies for trainer Rod Hennessy, 8-1 shot Outlaw Deacon Jim rallied home off the cover of 9-5 favourite Big Time Sunrise (Bill Tainsh Jr.) and collared pacesetter Urcutoff (Brandon Campbell) to win by a neck while Withflyingcolours (Keith Clark) followed two lengths behind off a pocket trip in third. Urcutoff had cut fractions of :28.3, :58.2 and 1:27.4 before Outlaw Deacon Jim unleashed a :28.4 final frame to prevail in 1:57 flat and notch his third win in a row.
The Blue Burner-Billie J Blue Chip colt was a winner in the Gordon Rumpel Stakes last month and is now four-for-six on the season. He made his fifth career visit to the winner's circle on Canada Day and bumped his bankroll to $39,955 for owner Lorne Duffield of Edmonton, Alta.
Both $50,000 (added) Alberta Princess and Plainsman finals will be held on Sunday, July 12 at Century Downs.
To view Wednesday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Wednesday Results - Century Downs.