Fraser Downs opened up the 2023 season on Thursday evening (Sept. 14) and the 10-race card was highlighted by the B.C. Breeders Stakes for three-year-olds.
In addition to the feature races, 2023 spring season leading driver Brandon Campbell and co-leading trainer Jim Marino teamed up to produce four winners on the Thursday card. Marino won the opener with Over Ice and the finale with Preferred winner Western Summit, giving him a pair of bookend wins on the card. With two B.C. Breeders Stakes victories, he tallied four wins to start the 2023 meet.
In the B.C. Breeders Stakes for the evening, one $20,000 Mary Murphy Memorial division for the sophomore pacing fillies was featured in addition to three $15,000 Robert Murphy Memorial divisions for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings.
Side Piece took her share of the $20,000 prize in the race seven sole Mary Murphy Memorial division for the fillies with Campbell in the bike for Marino.
From post six, Campbell and Side Piece settled into the pocket behind Custard Or Nothing (Rod Therres) as she led to the opening panel in :29.2. With a tug on the right line, Side Piece popped out off the pylons and swooped around the leader to take command. She continued forward to hit the half in :59.1 and three-quarters in 1:26.4. Side Piece never looked back as she won by two lengths in 1:54.2. Custard Or Nothing finished second and Heart Of A Dragon (Bradley Watt) landed in the show spot.
Breeder J J J Stables and trainer Marino co-own the sophomore daughter of Shadow Play and the Artsplace mare Queen Otra. Side Piece owns a record of 4-1-0 in five starts this season with $70,942 earned. In her career, she has eight wins and a second in 11 starts with $145,542 banked. She paid $2.30 to win.
In race six, team Campbell-Marino doubled up in stakes wins after they joined forces again to win the first Robert Murphy Memorial for the males with Domi.
Domi won every split and led his class of six through panels in :29, 1:00.2, and 1:29 before winning by 2-1/4 lengths in 1:56. Mickie Mantle (Kelly Hoerdt) followed the pocket trip to second and Billy Buxton (Dennis Johnston) took third.
Marino co-owns the Living It Up sophomore gelding with J J J Stables and Paul Sanders. This season, Domi has earned $58,905 of his $73,405 career bankroll from a record of 6-3-1 in 11 starts. The win was his sixth lifetime tally. He paid $3.50 to win as the bettors' choice.
Therres took his trainee, Dillon James, to get his photo taken in the second Robert Murphy Memorial division in race eight.
Speakdollarsnscents (Scott Knight) controlled the pylon real estate while Yenoh Who (Johnston) hit the first panel ahead of the rest in :28. Yenoh Who faded and Speakdollarsncents took command of the field after that split. Through the opening panel and the half in :59, Dillon James and Therres sat third. Therres pulled his right line and moved first over to challenge Speaksdollarsncents. Dillon James was the first to the three-quarters in 1:27 before clearing the lead. With open track ahead, Dillon James plugged on to a 1-1/2 length victory in 1:55.4. Speaksdollarsncents finished second with T N Custard (Philip Giesbrecht) earning the show spot.
Therres owns the Mystician gelding as he picked up his second win of the season and third career victory. A career best performance for Dillon James, he moved his seasonal sum to $22,405 and career bankroll to $52,675. He paid $8.70 to win as the 3-1 second choice.
Therres trained three winners on the card as he drove both Dillon James and Moneybags (2:00.3) to victory and Scott Knight drove Buddy Knocks (1:55.2) to victory.
Rum N Raisins took the third and final Robert Murphy Memorial division of the evening in race nine, posting the fastest time of the stakes action on the card.
John Abbott and the Richard Lancaster trainee made every call in their division as they posted fractions in :28, :57.3, and 1:25. With every split, the pair distanced themselves until they crossed the wire 5-1/4 lengths the best in 1:53.2. Usual Suspect (Campbell) grabbed second and Lukes Proclamation (Hoerdt) sprinted in the lane to take third.
Owner Wild Dunes Stables bred the Custard The Dragon gelding with Rt Enterprises Ltd. With three career wins earned this season, Rum N Raisins moved his seasonal bankroll to $24,545 and career total to $29,898. He paid $5.80 to win as the 2-1 second choice.
Accompanying the B.C. Breeders Stakes on the card, the $10,000 Mares Preferred highlighted the card as a feature race with Western Summit winning the finale and giving Marino his fourth training win of the night.
Campbell was once again holding the lines for Marino as he rode the pocket trip with Western Summit through panels in :26.3, :56, and 1:24. Campbell made his move in the final turn to challenge the favourite and pace-setter Miss Itunes (Giesbrecht). Western Summit powered home to win by 2-1/2 lengths in 1:53.1. Miss Itunes settled for second and Century Mach (Hoerdt) rounded out the top three.
Paul Sanders owns the seven-year-old mare for her tenth win of the season in a career best time. Western Summit boasts 25 career victories and $166,427 earned. She paid $5.70 to win.
In the 2023 spring meet, Marino tied Hoerdt for the training title at Fraser Downs with 46 wins in the early 2023 meet and led all drivers with $295,890 earned. Campbell led all drivers with 92 wins and $485,163 earned.
The Fraser Downs fall meet runs through Dec. 15 with live harness racing on Thursday and Friday evenings.
To view Thursday's harness racing results, click the following link: Thursday Results - Fraser Downs.