New lifetime marks were the order of the day for the main event winners on Mid-Summer Classic Day at Century Downs on Saturday, Aug. 10.
The card on Saturday featured the $122,200 Gord & Illa Rumpel Memorial for three-year-old filly pacers and the $105,570 Ralph Klein Memorial for three-year-old male pacers. And while the glamour boys usually get top billing, this recap is going with the ladies first rule given the outstanding effort of sophomore filly Outlawguns N Roses.
Last in action four weeks ago with a break and fifth-place finish in the Alberta Marquis, Outlawguns N Roses went postward as the 3-1 third choice in the Rumpel Memorial. The last time she wasn't the betting favourite this year, she won the Alberta Diamond by 10 lengths.
It's almost as if when she's not receiving the bulk of the public attention, she takes it personally.
Driver David Kelly pointed Outlawguns N Roses (pictured above) for the front in the Rumpel, and worked to clear Kootenay Cocoa (Phil Giesbrecht) heading into the first turn. Giesbrecht wanted control, and looped to the lead through a :26.4 opener. She didn't land back on the rail after clearing until a sharp :55.2 half.
Kelly sensed the need to vacate the pocket down the backside as favoured Byby Baby Byby (Mike Hennessy) ventured into the two path to start that bid. Kelly angled out to test Kootenay Cocoa and easily breezed by the B.C. invader, hitting the third station in 1:23.1. The guns were blazing through that final panel, as Outlawguns N Roses kicked home in :28.2 for the scintillating 1:51.3 mile. Byby Baby Byby was best of the rest with Over Ice (Brandon Campbell) third.
The time of the mile sliced a full second off the 1:52.3 mark for three-year-old pacing fillies, previously held by Exotic Dragon. That's also the fastest mile in track history for a three-year-old, regardless of sex.
"Phil came out, and I know we were kind of going along pretty quick anyway," Kelly recounted after the win. "I let him go, and she settled nice on his helmet. And when we got up the backside, Phil's [filly] kind of came back to me, and [my filly] swelled up big time.
"When I moved her out, I could feel Mikey on my back....So we kind of waited until we hit the turn, and we hit the jets, and she was flying."
Owned by trainer Rod Starkewski along with Clauzette Byckal of Onoway, Alta., Outlawguns N Roses (Captive Audience - Gunslingin Gal) now sports a career summary of 10-4-0 in 17 career appearances with earnings of $236,500.
As the 3-1 third choice, she returned $8.70 to win.
In the final of the Klein, Grey Horizon was 1-9 the best on the toteboard and he delivered on that pari-mutuel proposition with a confident win for his supporters and connections.
Brandon Campbell propelled Grey Horizon from post two with Solar Solution (Giesbrecht) providing some pace to his outside. Giesbrecht accepted the pocket ride behind the public choice as Grey Horizon sliced out panels of :27, :56.2 and 1:23.1. Campbell then gained separation on his rivals around that final turn, bottoming out the field to coast home and win by more than a length in a career best time of 1:53. Solar Solution stayed for second, nosing out Run N Custard (Kelly Hoerdt) in a place photo.
Campbell confirmed after the race that Grey Horizon contested that race with broken equipment.
"I noticed behind the gate just as we were leaving out he dropped a side hopple hanger and actually almost got a little tangled up at the head of the turn there. I almost lost him."
Trained by Campbell for Jodi Loftus, Raymond Henry and George Rogers of Calgary, Alta., Grey Horizon (Vertical Horizon - Panagler) now boasts a record of 9-6-0 from 17 starts with $206,710 in earnings.
For the full results from Saturday's card of harness racing in Alberta, click the following link: Saturday Results - Century Downs.
(Standardbred Canada)