While one win streak was snapped, another continued as glamour boys Bachelor Pad and Silver Eagle prevailed in a pair of $11,250 Alberta Sires Stakes Marksman eliminations for three-year-old pacing colts on Saturday afternoon at Alberta Downs
.
Bachelor Pad, last year’s divisional champion, put an end the Caress Of Steel’s five-race undefeated win streak while establishing a new lifetime mark of 1:54 in the first elimination with his off-the-pace score.
The popular Caress Of Steel (Jim Marino) took control of the nine-horse field and posted a :28-second opening quarter before taking a second panel breather.
Making the first move from fourth during the second panel was Tap Room (Rod Hennessy). He advanced on the outside and collared the 9-5 favourite at the half-mile mark in :57. Tap Room quickly cleared to command, but trainer-driver Gerry Hudon had Bachelor Pad rolling from sixth and as he inched closer on the outside Caress Of Steel moved back out as they headed towards three-quarters in 1:24.3.
As the field entered the stretch, the top two were confronted by Bachelor Pad, who gained the upper hand down the lane and kicked away by two and a quarter lengths to win in 1:54. Wannabe Cowboy (Ryan Grundy) and Red Star Tiger (Jamie Gray) rallied from the backfield to grab second and third over Caress Of Steel and Tap Room.
Bachelor Pad paid $8.20 to win as the 3-1 third choice.
After winning three of eight races including the Battle Of Alberta Super Final and banking $73,609 as a two-year-old, the chestnut gelding has recorded four wins in his sophomore season in 10 starts while earning $34,472. Hudon purchased the son of Brandons Cowboy-Duplex at the ASHA Yearling Sale for $26,000 with partners R. Lynn Kowalevsky of Airdrie and Monica Hudon of Edmonton, Alta.
While Joe Tinelli’s homebred Caress Of Steel saw her win streak end, his other sophomore Silver Eagle continued his own win streak in the second elimination.
With Brandon Bey V scratched, the field was reduced to seven in the second elimination. Battle River Storm (Kelly Hoerdt) left alertly to claim the leading role with 2-5 favourite Silver Eagle and driver Bill Tainsh Jr. swooping down into the pocket spot from Post 7.
Shortly after the :27.3 opening quarter, the parked out Hollywood Warrior (Gerry Hudon) advanced to the top. He maintained a two length lead on the field as he passed the half in :56.4 and three-quarters in 1:25.2
However, around the final turn Silver Eagle angled off the rail with Battle River Storm pulling the pocket in front. Silver Eagle went wide and swept by the inside horses to score the 1:53.1 triumph by one and a half lengths. Battle River Storm finished second with Hollywood Warrior third. Roper (Rod Hennessy) and Red Star Big City (Jamie Gray) earned the final paycheques.
Silver Eagle paid $2.90 to win for the fifth consecutive time.
Tinelli co-owns the Brandons Cowboy-Allamerican Viking gelding with trainer Lance Ward and the Shir Win Racing Stable of Edmonton, Alta. After winning just two of seven races as a freshman and banking $12,644, Silver Eagle has risen to the top of the division earning 12 wins and five seconds in 19 sophomore starts while earning $110,969. Among his wins are the first Alberta Sires Stakes final, the Alberta Plainsman, and the Brad Gunn Stakes.
The $50,000 (added) final of the Marksman will take place next Saturday, August 27 at Alberta Downs.
In Open action, the ultra consistent Trust The Artist delivered on his pari-mutuel promise to claim the lion’s share of the $8,800 purse.
Trust The Artist maintained a three length lead on the field as he cruised through fractions of :27, :55.2 and 1:23. The son of Real Artist-Abreachoftrust widened that margin to two four and a quarter lengths in the stretch before stopping the teletimer in a season’s best 1:52 flat, just two-fifths of a second off the track record for aged pacers. Flak Jacket (Jamie Gray) and Clintons Escape (Keith Clark) finished second and third respectively.
Trainer-driver Kelly Hoerdt shares ownership of the seven-year-old pacer, who is approaching the half-million dollar mark in career earnings, with partners Blair Corbeil and Mike McAllister, all of Beaumont, Alta. Trust The Artist has recorded three wins, five close seconds and one fourth place finish at Alberta Downs.
He paid $4.10 to win as part of the favoured entry.
To view Saturday’s harness racing entries, click on the following link: Saturday Results – Alberta Downs.