First Class Horse Sets Track Record

Sophomore pacing colt First Class Horse set a new divisional track record and equalled the all-age record with a dominating performance in the $90,000 Brad Gunn Stakes co-featured during the Mid-Summer Classic card of harness racing Saturday at Century Downs Racetrack and Casino.

First Class Horse blazed around the Calgary oval in 1:52.3 for Hall of Fame horseman Keith Clark and owners Robert Jones of Slave Lake and Doris McDougall of Cochrane, Alberta.

Leaving from post six, the 1-9 favourite set fractions of :27, :56.1 and 1:23.3 en route to the three and three-quarter length victory, with Have Not Read It (Kelly Hoerdt) chasing in second-place and pocket-sitter Outlaw Deacon Jim (Paul Davies) finishing third in the three-horse breakaway.

The time of the mile was one of the fastest yet at the inaugural Century Downs meet equalling the track record held by Alberta's top Open pacer Who Doesnt and lowering his own sophomore mark.

"It was a pretty good day," Clark told Trot Insider. "He raced very well. He got to the front and he got his own way."

The Western Terror-Susurrus Hanover colt has just one loss this year from nine starts when he was defeated racing against older horses last weekend after a two-month layoff due to a gap his stakes schedule. First Class Horse has amassed $121,600 so far in his near-perfect sophomore campaign. He is now 13-for-16 lifetime with career earnings of $144,745.

Clark said the Pennsylvania-bred colt's next Alberta stakes race isn't until early December when he will compete in the Western Canada Pacing Derby.

"He's not an Alberta-bred, he's an American-bred so he doesn't fit too much here," noted Clark, who had made the colt eligible to a couple of stakes in Ontario including the Pepsi North America Cup, but ultimately decided against shipping him east, at least until he has finished his Alberta campaign.

Fire Watch also delivered on her 4-5 pari-mutuel promise with a career-best 1:55 triumph in the $70,000 Ralph Klein Stakes, just missing the sophomore pacing filly track record.

With Century Downs' leading driver and trainer Travis Cullen in the sulky, Fire Watch led the field through panels of :27.4, :57.3 and 1:26.2. She remained clear on top down the backstretch as Remember Terror (Brandon Campbell) stalled first over. Fire Watch then sprinted home in :28.3 to keep pocket-sitter Wrapped To Go (Jim Marino) at bay for the two and three-quarter length victory. Blue Star Texas (Keith Clark), the divisional track record holder, finished back in third.

After going six-for-nine as a freshman, the Camystic-Raging Red Head filly has earned two wins and four seconds in eight sophomore starts to push her career bankroll to $114,342.

Cullen shares ownership of the bay filly with his father Ron and partner Dwayne Taylor of Minto, Manitoba.

To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Century Downs.