With a name like Scardy Cat, the front end of a horse race might be the best place to hang out. That spot certainly seemed to be to the winner's liking on Saturday (July 27) for Packwood Grand day at Century Downs Racetrack & Casino.
A compact and competitive field of five mares went postward in the $9,000 Fillies & Mares Open Pace. Driver Kelly Hoerdt sent Scardy Cat forward off the gate and landed on the lead to reach the opening panel in :28.2. Hoerdt relaxed the tempo somewhat through a :57 half before asking for more speed down the backside. Born A Dragon (Keith Clark) started the flow from fourth and applied pressure through a 1:25.2 third panel, towing Thats It (Mike Hennessy) into contention. Hennessy flipped the switch on Thats It for a three-wide bid around that final turn and closed the gap on the pacesetter with every stride heading into the stretch. Scardy Cat was in mood to be social and stayed clear of her rivals to trip the timer in 1:54.4, three-quarters of a length ahead of Thats It. Pocket sitter Big Shir (David Kelly) stayed for third.
Amy Henry trains four-year-old Scardy Cat (Sportswriter - Cats Meow) for owner-breeder J J J Stables of Prince George, B.C. The win was the third of the season for Scardy Cat and 12th lifetime, pushing her earnings over the $230,000 mark.
An overflow crowd once again packed Century Downs' tarmac and infield for the fifth edition of Packwood Grand, one of Calgary's hottest social events of the summer.
To view the results from Saturday's card of harness racing at Century Downs, click the following link: Saturday Results - Century Downs.