Top sophomore pacing filly Malabrigo continued her perfect season with a pair of victories in an elimination heat and the final of the Maritimer Stake on Saturday afternoon at Exhibition Park Raceway.
The Maritimer Stake is co-sponsored by Standardbred Canada & New Brunswick Standardbred Breeders & Owners Association (NBSBOA).
After winning her 11th race elimination heat with a purse of $9,705 in 2:00.4, Malabrigo returned to the track for the $12,940 final in the 16th race to prove her talent once again with a 1:59.2 winning effort.
With trainer Marc Campbell in the sulky, Malabrigo got away third from post two in the finale while the other elimination winner Glory A As and trainer-driver Gilles Barrieau took the lead with the inside post advantage and carved out opening fractions of :29.1 and :58.4. Campbell sent his star filly after the leader en route the 1:29.1 third quarter station and took over command as they entered the stretch. Malabrigo then cruised home for her 11th straight victory this year while pocket-sitters Aprils Dawn Star and Mike Stevenson finished one and a quarter lengths behind in second over Glory A As.
Malabrigo has never missed the board in 22 lifetime starts and her Saturday afternoon winnings pushed her career bankroll over the $100,000 mark. Among Malabrigo's 11 sophomore wins are the Maritimer Breeders Stake, the Frank And Beth Stanfield Memorial, a division of the Rudy Chappell Memorial Stake and five Atlantic Sires Stakes events for seasonal earnings of $56,267.
The Western Paradise-Lots Abunny filly is owned by Buntainwood Farm of Brackley Beach, P.E.I.
In this week's top pacing class, Joseph Michael romped to a nine and a quarter length victory in 1:57.3 with Stephen Trites in tow. The five-year-old son of Jennas Beach Boy, who is trained by Eric Wilson for New Brunswick's Capital A Investments Ltd. and Valerie Phelan, earned his 25th career triumph.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Exhibition Park Raceway.