A pair of high-profile mares laid their win streaks on the line in Sunday's Fillies & Mares Open Handicap Pace, but it was the hometown favourite who prevailed with a track record performance.
Riding a five-race win streak against Alberta's top mares, former Alberta Horse of the Year River Lass faced some new competition in this week's $8,500 top pace at Alberta Downs as the British Columbia shipper Phone Terror brought her undefeated six-race sophomore streak east.
But when the gate folded, the popular River Lass and trainer-driver Kelly Hoerdt fired to command from their assigned outside post seven and never looked back as they raced by panels of :26.2, :55.4, and 1:24.1 en route to a three and a half length victory in a new career mark of 1:52 flat. The time of the mile also lowered Pretty Promised's track record for older pacing mares by one-fifth of a second.
Phone Terror, trained and driven by Serge Masse for Edmonton owners Melissa and Claudine Masse, held her own off a two-month layoff as she chased home River Lass from the pocket in her Alberta debut. Co-favourite Minettas Nightstar and trainer-driver Keith Clark finished third.
River Lass paid $5.50 to win her sixth consecutive race. The five-year-old As Promised mare is a winner of 26 races lifetime (10-for-15 this year) and is closing in on the $300,000 earnings mark. She is co-owned by Beaumont, Alta. residents Hoerdt and Blair Corbeil.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Alberta Downs.