Jet Blue Burner was an impressive winner in her career debut in the ASHA Filly Stakes, setting a new track record for two-year-old pacing fillies on Saturday at Century Downs. Divas Dragonfly and Credit The Shark also won their $6,667 stakes divisions.
Greg Manning's homebred filly Jet Blue Burner won the afternoon's final stakes split in 1:58.2, lowering the divisional record by one-fifth of a second.
Apple Blossom Time (Philip Giesbrecht) led the field early with slight favourite Glamorgal (Gerry Hudon) following in the pocket and Jet Blue Burner in third-place through opening fractions of :29 and :59. Manning moved his Blue Burner-Blinkanyoumissit filly from third at the half while Cuttingtothechase (Brandon Campbell) rallied three-wide down the backstretch. Jet Blue Burner surged ahead in between Apple Blossom Time and Cuttingtothechase by three-quarters in 1:28.4 and began to open up on top. With Cuttingtothechase dropping in behind, Jet Blue Burner took off down the stretch to win by six and a half lengths over that rival. Awhimaway (Keith Clark) edged out Glamorgal in a photo for show.
Jet Blue Burner was the 9-5 second choice in the field and returned $5.90 to her backers at the betting windows.
Making her fourth start, Credit The Shark also scored her first career victory in the ASHA Filly Stakes on Saturday. Trainer/driver shares ownership of the Up The Credit-Shark Fest filly with co-breeders Harvey and Ann Jaeger, and partner Clint Van Ostrand.
Joyful Sound (Gerry Hudon) left quickly with even-money Monstrous (Jim Marino) filling the pocket and forcing a parked out Witch Doctor (Rod Hennessy) to drive on through a :29 quarter. Once Witch Doctor cleared, Montrous brushed up alongside the new leader en route to the half in :59.2 with Joyful Sound tipping out on her back. Montrous eventually cleared Witch Doctor and had Joyful Sound prompting the pace. Meanwhile, Clark watched the early action from fourth and moved Credit The Shark on cover at the three-quarters, which was clocked in 1:28.1. Clark fanned his filly wide into the stretch and Credit The Shark rallied home to defeat Montrous by three-quarters of a length in 1:59 flat. Joyful Sound finished third ahead of Witch Doctor.
Credit The Shark was sent off at odds of 13-1 and paid $29.80 for the upset win.
Divas Dragonfly delivered as the 1-2 favourite in the opening division, remaining undefeated in stakes action for trainer Carl Archibald.
Nevada (Keith Clark) overtook insider Moon Struct (Jim Marino) off the gate and led the field through an opening quarter in :29.4. Lissie Borden (Phil Giesbrecht) was following the top pair and brushed first over through the second panel with Divas Dragonfly and driver Jamie Gray tracking her cover after getting away fifth. Lissie Borden reached the front at the half in 1:02 and had Divas Dragonfly pressuring immediately to her outside before taking over down the backstretch. Divas Dragonfly opened up four lengths through a big third panel, reaching the three-quarters mark in 1:29.3, en route to her career-best 1:59.2 triumph. Outlawtriggerhappy (Bill Tainsh Jr.) came on for second over Lissie Borden.
Divas Dragonfly paid $3 to win. Meadowlark Farms's homebred filly, who boasts prior stakes wins in the Emerald Filly and Alberta Starburst, is now three-for-five in her career.
Open pacing mare Rummys Command ended Sing Like An Angel's six-week reign in the distaff feature with a dominant 1:54.3 triumph in Saturday's $11,500 edition. Clark co-owns the four-year-old Cams Card Shark mare with Robert Jones. Sing Like An Angel (Ron Cullen) had to settle for the runner-up role this time out while American Passion (Gerry Hudon) finished third.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Century Downs.