Barona Mercedes completed a sweep of the Alberta Sires Stakes Diamond leg for three-year-old pacing fillies with a dominate victory in the $51,300 final on Saturday afternoon at Alberta Downs.
Barona Mercedes established the lead from post two and was never seriously threatened as she raced past panels of :28.2, :57.4 and 1:26 en route to the three length triumph in a new lifetime mark of 1:53.1. She was the 4-5 favourite after winning her elimination by five lengths in 1:53.4 last weekend and returned $3.70 to her backers at the betting windows.
Another elimination winner and 8-5 second choice, Nighttraintovegas (Brandon Campbell), was tipped first over from third down the backstretch and chased Barona Mercedes home in second-place, with Mother Melody (Jamie Gray), also an elimination winner, closing for third.
Barona Mercedes is owned by trainer/driver Kelly Hoerdt and Blair Corbeil of Beaumont, Alta. along with Amy Henry of Fort Saskatchewan, Alta. The Brandons Cowboy-Insurance Fee filly now boasts five wins in eight sophomore starts and has finished no worse than fourth to bank $54,547.
Her 1:53.1 winning time was just two-fifths of a second off the divisional track record held Phone Terror.
Feelin Flush ($3.50) circled a field of six other Open pacing mares to defeat last week's winner Skade (Keith Clark) at the wire in a season's best 1:53.2, with her stablemate Sing Like An Angel (Philip Giesbrecht) finishing third. Trainer/driver Travis Cullen co-owns the As Promised mare, who was sent postward as the 3-5 favourite, with Ken Hanson of Strathclair, MB.
Outside leaver Blue Star Beauty (Brandon Campbell) cut quick splits of :26.3, :54.4 and 1:24.1 prior to being overtaken at the head of the lane by the pocket-pulling Skade. Sing Like An Angel then rallied off Skade's cover before Feelin Flush swept by those two down the stretch for the half-length victory.
A winner of eight races in 19 starts, former claimer Feelin Flush has banked $48,700 in purses during her six-year-old campaign against Open competition.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Alberta Downs.