Odds-on favourite Ernesto Delcruz commandeered his rivals and dominated to win the $55,700 Alberta Sires Stakes Maverick Final, a race for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings, on a stakes-packed Saturday (Sept. 17) at Century Downs.
Trainer-driver J. F. Gagne grabbed control with Ernesto Delacruz to a :27 first quarter and snagged a breather to a :57 half. So Strange edged first over as the tempo slowed, but made his charge after the leader as Ernesto Delacruz sprinted up the backside to three-quarters in 1:24.4. From there, the Vertical Horizon gelding had bottomed out his competition and strode home a two-length winner in a 1:53.1 mile. Vegas Gambler rallied from second over for second and So Strange settled for third another four lengths behind.
A homebred for Gagne and Peter Van Seggelen, Ernesto Delacruz won his eighth race from 18 starts and has now accrued $126,078. He paid $3.60 to win.
Divine Art survived a parked journey to beat her class going away in the $56,000 ABSS Marquis Final, a race for three-year-old pacing fillies.
Jamaica Move motored to the lead with Divine Art alongside, and the two remained head to head by a :28.2 first quarter and through middle fractions of :58.2 and 1:25.3. Divine Art overpowered Jamaica Move to the final turn and put her competition away coming for home, striding clear to a four-length victory in 1:55 over stablemate Daisy Corvette. Saphire Blue tracked cover from second over for third.
Nate Sobey conditions Divine Art for owners Robert T. Jones, Diane Bertrand and John Hind. The daughter of Outrageous Art won her 11th race from 17 starts and has now banked $199,377. She paid $3.30 to win.
Driver Brandon Campbell swept the two $25,000 divisions of the Brad Gunn Memorial, a race for two-year-old pacing fillies. The first division went the way of a scant nose for G Ts Skyla as she narrowly held off pocket-popper Cora Cora Cora in 1:57.1. Campbell cleared command with the Scott McGinn trainee and set an uncontested clip of :28.2, :59 and 1:28 on the point. She faced the challenge from Cora Cora Cora kicking off the bottom corner and kept that rival at bay through the lane to hit the finish first as the odds-on favourite. Waitinonawoman gave pursuit behind the pair in third.
Scott McGinn co-owns G Ts Skyla with breeders Gerlad, Marjorie and Terry McGinn. The daughter of Mystician won her second race from two starts and has now banked $20,900. She paid $2.50 to win.
After a photo finish, Campbell romped with his trainee Promise Kept to take the other Brad Gunn Memorial division, also timed in 1:57.1. The daughter of Custard The Dragon faced no pressure through fractions of :28, :58.4 and 1:27.4 before sliding clear of pocket-sitter Dear John Im Gone to win by six lengths. Captivatethecrowd rode the pylons to take third.
Promise Kept competes for owners Jodi Loftus, George Rogers and Raymond Henry. She won her third race from four starts, has now banked $43,550 and paid $2.40 to win.
Shots Fired upset in the first of two $25,000 Norm Kennedy Memorial divisions for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings. Trainer-driver Jamie Gray sat fourth with the Custard The Dragon colt while Mickie Mantle cleared the lead to a :27 first quarter and controlled proceedings to a :56.2 half and three-quarters in 1:25.1. Gray edged Shots Fired from third moving into the final turn and fired his shot, nailing the pacesetter by a length in 1:55.3. Lukes Proclamation, the 9-5 favourite, finished third.
Shots Fired races for owners Jim Marino and Paul Sanders. He won his first race from four starts, has now earned $14,244 and paid $37.90 to win.
Handsome Dan popped off a pylon ride to take the other division of the Norm Kennedy Memorial. Trainer-driver Kelly Hoerdt stayed put at the pylons as Reach Out took the lead to a :27.4 first quarter, then remained put as Ponder No Longer reached for the lead to a :58.1 half, and still stuck to the cones when One Major Hottie seized the lead to three-quarters in 1:26.3. As the dust settled on the point, Hoerdt hustled the fresh legs of Handsome Dan after the front and fired home a winner by three-quarter lengths in 1:57. Ponder No Longer settled for second with Reach Out taking third.
A homebred State Treasurer gelding for Fred and Alice Gilbert, Handsome Dan won his first race from four starts and has now earned $19,300. He paid $18.10 to win.
Shark Week repeated in the $13,500 Preferred Pace earlier in the card. The Rod Hennessy-trained four-year-old stallion by Vertical Horizon took the lead after a :27 first quarter and coasted through a clip of :55.2 and 1:23.4 in progress to a 1:52.1 win by 2-3/4 lengths. Shark Week notched his 14th win from 43 starts and has now banked $155,610 for owners Lorne Duffield and Rod Hennessy. He paid $2.40 to win.
To view Saturday’s harness racing results, click the following link: Saturday Results – Century Downs.