Returning to action after a four-week layoff, Western Canada's fastest pacer Shark Week picked up right where he left off in Friday night's featured $14,000 Preferred Handicap Pace at Century Downs, extending his win streak to seven in a row.
Shark Week (pictured above) overcame an outside post assignment in the competitive field of seven to deliver as the 3-5 favourite off the layoff for the father-son, trainer-driver team of Rod and Mike Hennessy.
Mike Hennessy set out for the lead off the gate with Shark Week but had to settle for the pocket spot as inside leaver Samba Beat (Phil Giesbrecht) held his ground on top with a sizzling :26.1 opener. Tucking into the two-hole, Shark Week landed in front of Outlaw C My Shadow (Brandon Campbell), who was trying to bounce back after his nine-race win streak ended with a miscue in his return to Alberta last time out. The rest of the field lagged the top trio as they headed in front of the grandstand the first time.
As Samba Beat tried to back it down a beat to the half in :55.3, Shark Week went on the attack and worked to clear down the backstretch while Outlaw C My Shadow also began to advance on the outside and took over second-place with the early leader beginning to fade.
Opening up two lengths on top, Shark Week raced by three-quarters in 1:23 and turned for home with Hennessy keeping him to task while a steppy Outlaw C My Shadow chased in second before breaking stride again in the stretch. Up by four lengths at the top of the lane, Shark Week cruised home for the 1:52.2 victory. Icy Blue Scooter (Nathan Sobey) closed for second, finishing 3-1/2 lengths behind the winner, and Ernesto Delacruz (J.F. Gagne) rallied for third.
Owned by Rod Hennessy and Lorne Duffield, Shark Week now boasts a dozen wins from 16 starts this year with more than $85,000 in purse earnings. The five-year-old Vertical Horizon-Shark Gone Bad gelding, who became Western Canada's first sub-1:50 pacer with his 1:49.2 triumph on June 3, returned $3.30 to win.
The victory was his 32nd lifetime and boosted his bankroll to $285,475.
Shark Week is the subject of the feature article in the August 2023 edition of TROT Magazine.
Mike Hennessy also kept the win streak alive for the popular four-year-old pacer Kioti amid a rainstorm later on the card as the four-year-old son of Mystician made it six straight wins with a 1:55 mile in a $8,500 conditioned pace for trainer Doug Stout and owner/breeder Derek Stout. Kioto held off Outlawchippendale (Campbell) by three-quarters of a length, with Blast Of Sunshine (Giesbrecht) relegated to the pocket after a first-quarter duel and locked in third at the end.
Kelly Hoerdt led all trainers with a triple on Friday's nine-race card, with Beach Myst ($4), Chuck You Farlie ($8.90) and Came A Cavalier ($10) all scoring repeat wins. Hoerdt was in the bike for his stable's first two triumphs while Phil Giesbrecht guided Came A Cavalier to victory as part of a driving triple.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Century Downs.
Shark Week
Although Shark Week extended his winning streak to 7 last night, he ended another streak which showed just how dominant he has been this year: From May-July, not only did he win every race in which he was entered, but every race was won in wire-to-wire fashion - until last night, the last time that Shark Week had a horse in front of him anytime during a race was in April. This is even more impressive because, in 4 of those 6 races, he was assigned the outside post position.