Brad LeDrew has been driving Standardbreds for years but Friday night at Cornerstone Raceway in Yorkton was only the second time he managed five wins on one night
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“It was my second lifetime five-banger,” he said after the completion of the 10-race card. “Nights like this happen once in a blue moon. This is what it’s all about, nights like this.”
Among the wins were three drives of horses LeDrew also trained, and two horses owned by Glenn and Jane Grainger of Regina.
“Lots of the credit goes to owners like the Graingers,” he said, adding the Grainger/LeDrew hook-up has been working well for along time. LeDrew said driving becomes easier when you work with horses you know the owners have ready for the track.
Among the three wins were top spot finishers in all three Saskatchewan Horse Federation Summer Sizzle Claiming Series elimination heats.
The first heat had LeDrew pilot the 10-year-old Maximus Pass to the win over Tyler Redwood and Blue Star Victory and Leonard Hill with Thief On The Run. The win was the sixth of the year in 12 starts for the veteran horse.
LeDrew won the second heat with Motorboatenbrando, over brother Glenn LeDrew and Manstorm and Jeffrey Stone with Stonebridge Camlot.
The third elimination win was with Bigtime Jackpot over The Candy Man driven by Redwood, and Clayton Braybrook with Just So Justified.
LeDrew said all three winners have been racing well in tougher classes, and in the series, which will see the top two finishers in reach race, plus two of the top third place horses in the final Sept. 3, they were more comfortable in their own class.
So when it comes to the final next Friday, LeDrew was asked which of the horses he most wanted to drive.
“I think the one I’ll have will be Bigtime Jackpot or Motorboatenbrando,” he said, adding Maximus Pass is such a veteran it’s an easy horse to put in another driver’s hands. He’s 10. He’ll get the job done for pretty well anybody.”
Brad LeDrew also thwarted Stone’s attempt to take Out Of Snorts to her sixth straight win, edging out the eight-year-old mare with Barona Fivehundred in the Alpine Holdings Open Pace. Glenn LeDrew and Tajwon were third.
“The better horses got roughed up early,” said LeDrew. “I basically picked up the pieces down the stretch.”
While Out Of Snorts came up short of a sixth straight win, Brian Gray took Stagger Lee to her fifth straight victory, topping the Cornerstone Raceway Pace over Redwood and Ignite the Spark and Glenn LeDrew with Dal Reo Indy.
Brad LeDrew’s final win of the night came with Power Maid in the ninth race of the night.
The Saskatchewan Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association two and three-year-old Pace was also on Friday’s card, with Braybrook topping the field with Starlite Diva, over Redwood and Good One and Brian Gray and HF Zeligs Glory.
(Trot Insider exclusive by Calvin Daniels)
To view Friday’s results, click here.