Favourites Timberline Court and Four Forty pleased their backers with a pair of victories in their respective Alberta Prairie divisions for four-year-old male pacers
Saturday at Grande Prairie.
In the first $22,864 division, Timberline Court took a seat at the rail in sixth from a Post 7 start as Outlaw Free Ride (Warren Grant) and Early Winner (Ron Graham) battled on top through early panels of :28.1 and :56.1. Once Outlaw Free Ride shook off his challenger, Barona Grizzly (Keith Clark) laid on the pressure. At three-quarters in 1:26.4, trainer/driver Gerry Hudon angled Timberline Court three-wide and he sprinted home in :29.4 for the 1:56.3 victory by over seven lengths.
Barona Grizzly and Outlaw Free Ride finished second and third.
Hudon also shares ownership of the four-year-old son of Withheld-Bon Temps with Lynn Kowalevsky of Airdrie, Alta. In nine starts this season, Timberline Court has recorded three wins, four seconds and a third earning $35,287. Lifetime, the gelding has won 11 times earnings $158,063.
The second $22,564 division went to the Freedoms Pass-Shesapresbyterian four-year-old Four Forty. Driven by Keith Clark for trainer/part-owner Lance Ward, the bay gelding left from Post 3 and carved out fractions of :29.1, :58.4 and 1:28.1 before using a :28.1 final kicker to win by one and three-quarter lengths in 1:56.2.
G Ts Triple J (Bill Tainsh, Jr.) was the runner-up and Allbouttaj (J.F. Gagne) finished third.
Four Forty improved his record to 4-2-1 in 10 starts earning $28,595 this year. Rob Ostashek Holdings Ltd. and Terry Ostashek of Edmonton, Alta. also own the eight-time career winner, who has banked $66,156 to date.
Track record holder Weekend Bernie was the one to beat in Saturday’s $11,000 Open Pace, but the seven-year-old son of As Promised-Shes A Gogetter wasn’t about to let anyone get ahead of him.
Trainer/driver Mike Hennessy took his charge to the front from Post 4 forcing Smart Shark (Connie Kolthammer) into the pocket. ‘Bernie’ clicked off quarters of :28.1, :56.4 and 1:26.1 before stopping the clock in 1:55.1 with a three and a half length lead on the field.
Smark Shark stayed for second and Skip To My Mjjz (Brent Grundy) finished third.
Weekend Bernie has won half of his eight starts this season earning over $20,000 for owners Lorne Duffield of Edmonton and Rod Hennessy of Millet, Alta. The winner of 31 races lifetime now sports a bankroll of $551,857.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click here.