Momas Work Of Art picked a bad day to have a bad day in his last appearance, but the talented rookie pacer had a good day on Saturday, Sept. 14 with a track record performance in Alberta Sires Stakes action at The Track On 2.
The beaten favourite in the Century Casinos Pace on Aug. 31, Momas Work Of Art (pictured above) faced a tall task in his $27,700 Alberta Lonestar division as he went postward against the impressicve G Ts Jukebox Jack. That rookie pacer set a 1:55.1 Track On 2 track record for two-year-old pacing geldings in his debut on Sept. 1.
Sent off as the 1-4 favourite, G Ts Jukebox Jack handled the heavy lifting on the front end for driver Mike Hennessy. Serge Masse got away in the deuce with 9-2 second choice Momas Work Of Art through fractions of :27.2, :57.3 and 1:26.4. After G Ts Jukebox Jack fended off the first-over challenge of Mister Itunes (David Kelly), he faced the frest threat of Momas Work Of Art. Once the battery ran out on Mister Itunes, Momas Work Of Art angled from the pocket and quickly powered past the pacesetter for the lifetime best 1:55.2 score. G Ts Jukebox Jack held second over a hard-closing Westcoast McCoy (Phil Giesbrecht).
The time of the mile by Momas Work Of Art (Outrageous Art - Rocket Moma) also established a new track record for two-year-old pacing colts, erasing the 1:56 mark set in a qualifier by Discontinued. Shelly Arsenault co-owns and trains the three-time winner with Don M Jr Stables of Sherwood Park and Jackson Wittup of Calgary, Alta. His bankroll vaulted to $52.400 on Saturday, when he paid $11.30 to win.
Overshadowed by Discontinued in the other $27,400 Lonestar division, Century Casinos Pace champ Outlawminutbyminut is the early season Rodney Dangerfield of his division sent off as the second choice coming off that 27-1 score two weeks ago. Logan Gillis yielded to longshot G Ts Captain Solo (Masse) through a :28.1 opener, then retook the lead down the backside. That lead was short-lived, however, as favoured Discontinued (Mike Hennessy) right-lined from third to take command before a :56.3 half.
Before the 1:27.1 third station,. Gillis popped pocket with Outlawminutbyminut and took aim at Discontinued. Those two rookies slugged it out down the stretch, with Outlawminutbyminut getting up for the quarter-length tally in 1:55.2. G Ts Captain Solo rounded out the triactor ticket.
Gillis trains and co-owns Outlawminutbyminut (Smart Shark - At This Hour) along with Todd Teolis of St. Albert, Alta. Now a three-time winner from five starts, Outlawminutbyminut sports $55,450 in purse earnings. He paid $4.20 to win.
Saturday's card also featured three $18,000 Alberta Starburst divisions for two-year-old pacing fillies.
Mademechangemymind ($2.20) spotted her rivals some four lengths with a miscue at the gate, but driver Nathan Sobey quickly reset the daughter of Winds Of Change - Imjusttaylormade to catch the field and get away in fifth as Blowing Inthe Wind (Kelly Hoerdt) set a tempo of :28.4 and :59.4.
Hot Shot Shark (Gillis) angled from fourth to provide Mademechangemymind some back half cover before a three-wide brush at the 1:29.3 third station. As those three fillies turned for home, Mademechangemymind motored past her rivals and tripped the timer in 1:56.4 for the impressive victory. Hot Shot Shark was 1-3/4 lengths back, with Blowing Inthe Wind in the show spot.
Nathan Sobey owns and trains Mademechangemymind, now a three-time winner with $43,033 in the bank.
That 1:56.4 mile time was equalled by Custard Dolce ($2.10), who followed up her 1:54 track record performance in the ASHA Filly Pace where she won by seven lengths with a wire-to-wire Alberta Starburst win by more than seven lengths on Saturday. Dragons Attitude (Masse) and Utherockinmyroll (Sobey) gave futile chase, finishing second and third, respectively.
Jamie Gray guided Custard Dolce to victory, and he trains and co-owns the daughter of Custard The Dragon - Blue Star West with Jackson Wittup, Max Gibb of Millarville and Derek Wilson of Heritage Pointe, Alta. She's now five-for-six to start her career, with $73,387 in earnings.
Kid Winter ($8.60) is now perfect in two summer starts, winning the other Alberta Starburst division in a lifetime best 1:57.3.
Sitting seventh and last at the :29.1 opening quarter, Phil Price activated the daughter of Up The Credit - Star Of Winter down the backside and she cleared Ahoof Ahead (Scott Knight) before the :59.3 half. Price kept the pedal to the metal with Kid Winter, opening up a three-length lead around the far turn and into the stretch after a 1:29.1 third panel. Favoured Imashipwreck (Giesbrecht) found his groove in that final quarter, but Kid Winter's :28.2 closer was enough to hold off Imashipwreck by a quarter of a length. Ahoof Ahead rounded out the top trio.
Price trains and co-owns Kid Winter along with breeder Orianna Scheck of Calgary, Alta. The filly has banked $11,750 in her pair of starts.
For the results from Saturday's card of harness racing in Alberta, click the following link: Saturday Results - The Track On 2.
(Standardbred Canada)