Sunday’s card at Alberta Downs had a little bit of everything, as three-year-old pacers starred in the finals of the Alberta Diamond and Alberta Marksman and a
classy mare added her name to the record book.
River Lass extended her winning streak to three-in-a-row thanks to her triumph in the $55,400 final of the Alberta Diamond for fillies. Trainer/driver Kelly Hoerdt rallied the daughter of As Promised-Brass Buttons to the 2-1/4 length decision over W Jean in a time of 1:53.4. Third prize was earned by Nakednakednaked, who also hangs her harness bag in Hoerdt’s barn.
It was the ninth win of the season and the tenth lifetime tally for the career winner of $116,584, who is owned by Hoerdt and partner Blair Corbeil of Beaumont, AB.
Campasser entered the $54,200 final of the Alberta Marksman with four consecutive second-place finishes, but Brandon Campbell got all the marbles with the Darryl Cutting-trained son of Camystic-Dream Passer. Campbell treated the gelding to a ground-saving trip for the majority of the mile before popping off the rail and powering home in :27.1 en route to pulling off the 10-1 upset in a career-best clocking of 1:51.4. Dees Promise was second and Jafeica Again took home the show dough. Race favourite Clintons Escape led through middle fractions of :55.4 and 1:23.4 before fading to finish fourth.
William and Dianne Neish of High River, AB share ownership on Campasser, who now owns a 1-5-0 record in his first eight starts of the season. The six-time winner watched his lifetime earnings balloon to $98,909 with the win.
In other Sunday action, KG Mist shaved one-fifth of a second off the track record for older pacing mares when she toured the oval in 1:53.2. The former mark of 1:53.3 was set by Cuzzin Mimi on July 1, 2010.
Trainer/driver Rod Hennessy tucked the six-year-old daughter of As Promised-Ride The Shark into the two-hole shortly after the starting gate sped away, and she sat the through first-half fractions of :26.4 and :56.2. She was up to engage tempo-setter Arctic Flame at the three-quarter pole, which flashed up in 1:24.3, and she used a :28.4 closing panel to prevail by a neck over Pretty Promised in 1:53.2. Charm N Wits was third.
Hennessy shares ownership on the winner of $230,169 with Lorne Duffield of Edmonton, AB. The win was her fifth of the season and the 15th of her career.
To view Sunday’s results, click here.