Hall of Famer Keith Clark enjoyed a stakes training and driving triple on Sunday afternoon at Alberta Downs with Western Chrome establishing a new track record for two-year-old pacing colts in a division of the Horizon Pace and a pair of his fillies earning victories in the Emerald Filly Pace
splits.
Western Chrome, part of the favoured Clark entry in the opening $25,000 division of the Horizon Pace, jumped out to an early three length lead by the first quarter in :28-seconds for Clark before Tap Room (Rod Hennessy) took over and rolled past the half in :57 and three-quarters in 1:25.3. At that point, Clark pulled the pocket and Western Chrome responded by surging to a three-length score in 1:56, knocking one and one-fifth of a second off Fired Up’s freshmen record. Tap Room stayed for second and All The Statesmen (Kelly Hoerdt) finished third.
The win was Western Chrome’s ($3.40) first of the season in three outings. Clark shares ownership of the Western Hanover-Serenity Seelster colt with Calgary’s Boyz Of The Hood Stable.
Takem Todakleaners notched his third consecutive stakes win in the other Horizon Pace split for trainer-driver Brent Grundy. The son of As Promised-Rain Drop Hanover survived an overland journey to win in a life’s-best 1:56.2.
Fired Up (Don Monkman Jr.) left from Post 1 and reached the opening quarter in :28.3 before making a break and causing interference to most of the field. A parked Sterling Cooper (Bobby Clark) took over and showed the way to the half in :57.4 and three-quarters in 1:25.3 with the popular Takem Todakleaners spotted second over. Takem Todakleaners surged to the lead in the stretch with Wrangler Bignrich (Kelly Hoerdt) coming on for second over Sterling Cooper.
Takem Todakleaners ($4.70) is now four-for-five with $37,100 earned for owners Diane Bertrand of Edmonton, Thomas Menard and Sherri Sorensen of Sherwood Park, AB. The As Promised-Rain Drop Hanover colt was a $2,000 purchase at the ASHA Yearling Sale.
Minettas Nightstar and Wrangler Starlight completed Clark’s stakes triple with victories in two of three $16,667 Emerald Filly Pace divisions.
Minettas Nightstar (Brandons Cowboy-Lucky X Ample), the 4-1 second choice in the field, sat sixth for most of the mile before sprinting home in :28-seconds to win the first division in a new mark of 1:57.3 by one and a quarter length for Clark and John Hind of Calgary, AB. The win was her second in five starts pushing her bankroll to $19,202. Tajmaholic (J.F. Gagne) and Feelin Flush (Brandon Campbell) finished second and third.
Wrangler Starlight (Camystic-Southwind Holley) converted from the pocket to win her division by three-quarters of a length in career-best 1:58.1. Clark, Dr. Maurice Stewart and Maureen Stewart of Leduc, AB share ownership of the winner of two races in five starts and $22,441, who was sent postward as the 7-2 third choice. Red Star Camisole (Jamie Gray) and Im Sheila (Gerry Clark) rounded out the top three.
The final division went to the Doug Stout-trained Barona Josie (Brandons Cowboy-Vanessa Hall ), the 3-1 second choice in the field who settled for a two-hole trip behind favourite Clintons Escape (Clark) and then sprinted home in :28.3 to prevail by a length and a half in 1:57.1. Stout co-owns the winner, who is now two-for-two with $19,683 banked, with Barona Yearlings of Spruce Grove, AB. Novel Design (Gerry Hudon) was third.
Clark also captured the $10,000 Open Pace with wire-to-wire winner Wrangler Hitech, the 2-1 second choice in the field. The four-year-old gelded son of As Promised-Raines Lucey, owned by Robert Jones of Slave Lake and Peter Giannakopoulos of Edmonton, AB, stopped the clock in 1:54 with two lengths to spare. Pocket-sitter Murphs Tiki Bar (Rod Hennessy) and favourite Neal Diamonique (J.F. Gagne) were second and third. The win was Wrangler Hitech's third in 20 outings this year and pushing his earnings to $51,960 and $230,075 lifetime.
Starring Role, with driver John Baxter, equaled her 1:53.4 lifetime mark in the $10,000 Fillies & Mares Open Pace. The 5-2 second choice in the field converted from the pocket to win for the fifth time in 19 starts this season by three lengths. The five-year-old Cams Card Shark-Starpass mare, who has earned $44,850 of her $147,470 bankroll this year, is owned by Sifert and Fun For Fans of Airdrie, AB. Lady And Thetrench (Clark) was second with pacesetter Kg Mist (Rod Hennessy) third.
To view Sunday's results, click here.