Following a commanding 1:53.3 score in her elimination, Miss Itunes ($6.70) struck yet another winning chord with a 1:53.2 mile in the $29,400 Alberta Princess for three-year-old pacing fillies on Monday afternoon (July 27) at Century Downs.
The daughter of Mystery Chase floated forward from post 6 in line to Nathan Sobey and contently drafted in fourth while 6-5 choice Snow Shark (Keith Clark) controlled a :27.4 first quarter. On approach to the clubhouse turn, Sobey angled Miss Itunes first-over, and she responded instantly to press Snow Shark after a backed down :57.3 half.
It didn't take long for Miss Itunes to wrest command from Snow Shark — pushing clear with three-eighths to go and throwing down a :27.1 third sectional — but the two tangled again off the home turn. With a furlong to go, Snow Shark pulled the pocket and was urged to give chase, but Miss Itunes repelled the challenge, prevailing by a driven 1-1/2 lengths in 1:53.2, just a fifth of a second shy of Rockin Mystery's divisional track record.
Show Shark maintained second, 3-1/4 lengths in advance of Blue Star Dreaming (Mike Hennessy), who tracked the front flight the entire journey to finish third.
Trainer David Lamont shares ownership of five-time winner Miss Itunes with Donna Wyse.
As brilliant as Miss Itunes was, a dazzling performance from Boiling Oar ($4.50) in the sub-featured $9,000 Open Pace stole the spotlight as the five-year-old Shadow Play gelding paced the fastest mile ever in the history of the Calgary race course.
Brandon Campbell angled Boiling Oar out of the pocket to take charge from HF Thegreatpumpkin (Dave Kelly) up the backstretch just beyond a :55 half mile, and Boiling Oar responded at once, vaulting to a three-length lead through three-quarters in 1:22.3 before drawing off steadily through the far turn and winning by 6-1/4 lengths in 1:51.2. Outlaw Gunsablazin (Jamie Gray) lifted off cover to narrowly edge odds-on favourite Kneedeep N Custard (Kelly Hoerdt) for runnner-up honours.
Michael Campbell trains 25-time winner Boiling Oar, a mainstay in western Canada's top pacing events for the past two seasons, for the J J J Stables. Boiling Oar's 1:51.2 mile shaved two-fifths of a second off the previous Century Downs track record, held jointly by Kokanee Seelster and Iwontdothatagain.
Brandon Campbell led all drivers with five wins on the 10-race card, and he accounted for three training victories as well.
To view Monday's complete results, click the following link: Monday Results – Century Downs.