Heavy favourite Blue Eyed Cowboy came flying by in the stretch to win the $20,000 Alberta Standardbred Horse Association Colt Stakes in a career-best 1:52 performance on Sunday afternoon at Alberta Downs.
Bill Tainsh Jr. drove the stakes winner for owner/trainer Rod Starkewski of Lamont, Alta.
Comes Home First (Jim Marino) was the first to get a call, leaving from post five and sprinting the opening quarter in :26.4. As he headed down the backstretch, Sonic Spark (Travis Cullen) swept to command while Blue Eyed Cowboy -- away sixth from post three in the full field of 10 -- flushed out Ghost Pine (Brandon Campbell).
Ghost Pine quickly surged to command, clearing just past the :56.1 half-mile mark while Blue Eyed Cowboy was left uncovered and stalled three and a half lengths off the lead.
Ghost Pine opened up three lengths on top as he raced to the third quarter mark in 1:23.2 and into the lane. However, Blue Eyed Cowboy switched gears down the stretch and hustled home in :28.4 to prevail by two lengths. Comes Home First came home second today while Ghost Pine finished five and a half lengths behind in third.
The win was the fifth in 13 starts this season for the Brandons Cowboy-Eicarls Blue Eyes gelding and boosted his sophomore earnings to nearly $60,000.
Sent postward at odds of 1-5, Blue Eyed Cowboy paid $2.50 to win.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Alberta Downs.