Top Alberta pacing filly Blue Star Beauty was an easy winner in the elimination round for the Ralph Klein Breeders Stake on Saturday afternoon at Alberta Downs.
Blue Star Beauty delivered a 1:55.1 score in her $11,250 elimination for sophomore fillies with Bill Tainsh Jr. in the sulky.
British Columbia invader Phone Terror (Serge Masse) cleared to command over Credit Card Junkie (Keith Clark) during a :27.4 opening quarter and proceeded to the half in :57.4 with the field following in single file alignment. Racing in third was Blue Star Beauty, who was flushed first up during the third panel and swept to command near the 1:27 three-quarters mark. Down the stretch, Blue Star Beauty opened up a pair of lengths to secure the victory while Credit Card Junkie edged past Phone Terror for second. Honor Roll (J.F. Gagne) finished fourth and Smoky Moon (James Junquist) was fifth.
Blue Star Beauty paid $8.20 to win as the 3-1 second choice. Last year's top Two-Year-Old Alberta Sired Filly is now three-for-four during her three-year-old season while coming up just a neck short to Credit Card Junkie in her only loss in the Alberta Sires Stakes Princess Final on June 23. The daughter of As Promised and Whitesand Secret, owned by Derek Stout of Camrose, Alta., boasts eight wins on her lifetime record with two seconds from 10 starts and over $120,000 earned in purses.
Born With A Grin's connections were all smiles after the filly took advantage of Alberta Downs' long stretch to win her earlier elimination with James Jungquist working out the winning trip.
The fillies were four-wide into the first turn, but with the inside post advantage Gts Jerilyn (Jamie Gray) emerged with the lead while Cool One (John Abbott) broke stride while pressing to her outside during the :28-second opening panel. As Gts Jerilyn raced to the half in :57.3, the parked out Bashful Beauty (Kelly Hoerdt) moved up to apply pressure.
Meanwhile, Succulent (Gerry Hudon) made her move from fifth, with Born With A Grin following, and rolled three-deep by the 1:26.1 third quarter mark to take over command. But Born With A Grin fanned wide at the top the stretch and stormed home to prevail in 1:56 flat. The hard-closing G I Joan (Jim Marino) missed by just a neck while Succulent ended up third. Stylish Killean (Serge Masse) came through between horses to grab fourth and Bashful Beauty was the final payee in fifth.
Born With A Grin paid $8.20 to win as the 3-1 second choice in the field. The daughter of Fort Apache and Tantas Grin is trained by co-breeder Dan Sifert, who shares ownership with fellow Calgary resident Nicole Smith. The victory was her second in five sophomore starts and fourth lifetime.
The top finishers will return to the Lacombe oval next Saturday, July 21 for the $50,000 final.
Fanning four-wide down the homestretch, Neal Diamonique came on to capture this week's $8,500 Open Pace, which marked his second win in the top class in his last three tries for driver Jim Marino and trainer Lance Ward. The seven-year-old son of Real Desire, owned by Edmonton's Edward Dhoedt and Ernest Greenwood of St. Albert, Alta., stopped the clock in 1:54.1 and pushed his lifetime earnings over the $400,000 mark. The 29-time career winner defeated Hilldrop Shady (Brent Grundy) and pacesetter Bachelor Pad (Bobby Clark).
Neal Diamonique was one of three winners on the Saturday card for the Ward and Marino combination.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Alberta Downs.