Three-year-old pacing fillies Great Desire and Rollin Deep were victorious in a pair of $10,000 eliminations for the Ralph Klein Breeders Stake as they both put forth career-best efforts on Saturday afternoon at Alberta Downs.
Great Desire was an upset winner in the first elimination, prevailing at odds of 11-1 in 1:53.2 with Blake Piwniuk in the sulky for trainer Michelle Danroth.
Leaving from post four, Great Desire crossed over in front of insider Triple Action (Jamie Gray) during the :27.3 first quarter. Triple Action then swept back around the roan filly during the second panel and led the field through middle splits of :57 and 1:24.3. But Great Desire had the last laugh as she kicked home in :28.3 to prevail by one length. Sweet Sugar (Jim Marino) finished third and Rummys Command (Keith Clark) was fourth.
Great Desire paid $25.90 to win. Favourite Nighttraintovegas (Brandon Campbell) broke stride while racing in fifth into the final turn to take herself out of contention.
Owned by Graeme Bevington of Bashaw, Alta., the Real Desire-Gray Lady Gray filly was making her first stakes appearance of the season and earned her third win in eight sophomore starts.
Trained and driven by Travis Cullen for Edmonton owner Lucy Raymond, Rollin Deep was the heavy 1-5 favourite in the second elimination and she delivered on her pari-mutuel promise with an eight and three-quarter length romp in 1:53.1.
Firing to the lead from post six, the Ponder-Rapid Jenna filly carved out fractions of :27.4, :57.4 and 1:25.4 before sealing the deal with a :27.2 final kicker. Justapassin Fanci (Gerry Hudon) followed in second while Charismatic Art (J.F. Gagne) and Shark Festival (Keith Clark) finished third and fourth, respectively.
Rollin Deep paid $2.70 to win. She was a dominant winner in the Wild Rose back in May and now has five victories in 15 starts on her sophomore record.
The top fillies will return to Alberta Downs next Saturday, July 19 for the $50,000 (guaranteed) final.
This week's $8,400 Fillies & Mares Open Pace went to 15-1 longshot American Passion, who prevailed by a nose in a four-horse photo finish in 1:54.2. Trained, driven and co-owned by Gerry Hudon, the four-year-old American Ideal-Felicia Hanover mare paced her final quarter in :27.2 off a three-hole trip for her first win of the season in nine starts. Pocket-sitter Sing Like An Angel (Travis Cullen) just missed with pacesetter Clearly Best (Kim Dressler) dead-heating with a from-last Skade (Kelly Hoerdt) in third.
Kelly Hoerdt had a training triple during the 13-race program, winning back-to-back races with Hilldrop Shady and A Special Lady (Jim Marino), and scoring with Blue Star Escape.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Alberta Downs.