Albertan phenom Virtual Horizon added another victory to his unbeaten sophomore campaign with a 1:53.3 victory in the $59,000 Alberta Sires Stakes (ABSS) Maverick final at Century Downs on a stakes-filled Saturday (July 22).
Trainer-driver Brandon Campbell chugged down the highway with Virtual Horizon through fractions of :27.3, :55.4 and 1:24.2 to open four lengths on his competition spinning for home. Pocket-sitter Over The Horizon narrowed on the leader through the lane who held firm on the front at the finish by 1-3/4 lengths with General Custard another seven lengths behind in third and Blue Star Mercury in fourth.
Virtual Horizon races for owners Jodi Loftus, George Rogers and Raymond Henry. The Vertical Horizon colt is perfect from nine starts this season and has 12 victories overall from 16 starts, good for $222,438 in earnings. He paid $2.90 to win.
In the debutante accompaniment, the $56,600 ABSS Marquis, G Ts Skyla sustained a first-over push to down pacesetter Beep Bop A Lula in 1:55.1. Driver Logan Gillis landed the Mystician filly in fifth while Beep Bop A Lula grabbed the lead by a :27.1 first quarter from Nonversation. Gillis then got underway with G Ts Skyla through a :56 half and pressed forward to put a nose in front of Beep Bop A Lula to three-quarters in 1:25. Beep Bop A Lula reclaimed a narrow lead from the pylons turning for home, but upon straightening G Ts Skyla re-engaged and slid a length in front to win. Nonversation finished another five lengths behind in third and Caviar N Crackers took fourth.
Scott McGinn trains and co-owns G Ts Skyla, a homebred for Gerald, Marjorie and Terry McGinn. She won her seventh race from 10 starts and has now earned $114,125. G Ts Skyla paid $3.10 to win.
Freshmen competed earlier on the card in a pair of divisions for each sex, with colts going in the Norm Kennedy Memorial and fillies in the Emerald Filly Pace.
Grey Horizon went pillar to post in the first $22,500 division of the Norm Kennedy Memorial. The Vertical Horizon colt coasted on the point through splits of :30, 1:00.3 and 1:29.3 to score a 2-1/2-length victory in 1:58.3 over HF Winknat Jenna and Come On Santanna closing in third. Trainer Brandon Campbell steered the colt for owners Jodi Loftus, Raymond Henry and George Rogers. He paid $3.50 to win.
Sharkasaurus emerged from a shuffled pocket to snag victory in the second $22,500 Norm Kennedy Memorial division. Driver Mike Hennessy protected pylon position with the Prince Sharka gelding and cut fractions of :29.1 and 1:00.4 before losing the lead up the backstretch. Shark Attack overtook the leader and faced first-over pressure from Nevada Dragon to three-quarters in 1:30 before giving way into the stretch, where Sharkasaurus burst back onto the scene and clenched a three-quarter length victory in 1:59.3 over Nevada Dragon. Outlawstaythcourse closed from last for third and Shark Attack faded to fourth. Nate Sobey conditions the winning gelding for owner Team Century. He paid $11.50 to win.
Lumby Dragon opened the 11-race card with a 1:56.3 coast-to-coast performance in the first $22,500 division of the Emerald Filly Pace. Phil Giesbrecht rolled the daughter of Custard The Dragon from post two and faced no challenge through opening splits of :28.2 and :58.4. She then repelled a first-over push from Sandras Mystery to three-quarters in 1:28 and from there survived a pocket pounce from Got Sugar to win by a half-length with Sandras Mystery another five lengths behind in third. John Chappell trains the victorious filly for owners Fred Gilbert, Derek Gilbert and Velda Olding. She paid $3.20 to win.
The other $22,500 Emerald Filly Pace went to favourite Long Gone Lover with an off-the-pace effort to clock a 1:59 victory. A pair of leaders dropped through the pack starting with Sweetypi Sally, who set a :29 first quarter before faltering, and then with Giaonthevalley, who swooped to the lead by a :59.1 half before tiring to the final turn. Severe Turbulence brushed up the backside to take control to three-quarters in 1:28.4 all while trainer-driver Nate Sobey perched Long Gone Lover into striking position second over. Long Gone Lover sprung for home and clear by 2-1/4 lengths from first-over Dragon Dancer with Foothills Magic third and Y V Larceny fourth. Team Century owns the winning daughter of Winds Of Change who paid $5.40 to win.
In High Cotton took the undercard feature, a $14,000 Fillies and Mares Preferred Pace, in 1:53.2. Phil Giesbrecht drove the winning five-year-old by Somebeachsomewhere as she carved a tempo of :27.4, :56.2 and 1:24.2 to win by 3-1/2 lengths over Metaki. Kelly Hoerdt trains and co-owns In High Cotton with Blair and Erna Corbeil. She paid $5 to win.
Saturday’s card continued Century Downs’ celebration of Women In Racing. On the card, they hosted a $7,500 Women In Racing Invitational, which featured driver Natasha Day in town from Ontario. She piloted Grampian Road, who finished fourth as the whole field chased odds-on favourite and 5-1/4-length winner Crazy I M around the track in a 1:57.2 mile. Broadcaster Heather Vitale also joined the festivities at Century Downs as well as champion trainer Casie Coleman.
To view Saturday’s harness racing results, click the following link: Saturday Results – Century Downs.
(Photos by Caitlin Fancy / Coady Photo)