Driver Philip Giesbrecht celebrated a pair of Manitoba Sires Stakes victories this weekend with W. Allan Drader's Heartland Firmway and Brave Rustler winning their Golden Boy and Silk Lace divisional finals at Miami Fair.
Heartland Firmway ($4) dominated his fellow sophomore pacing colts with an open length triumph in the $11,716 Golden Boy Final on Saturday. Giesbrecht sent the even-money favourite to the lead from post four and cruised past panels of :29.1, 1:00.4, and 1:32.3 over the 'good' surface before extending his leading margin to eight and three-quarter lengths en route to the 2:04.3 victory. Brians Chanel and Winning Order rounded out the top three finishers.
Ashleigh Cullen trains the Firm Friend-Medway Amluck colt for Brookdale, MB owner Drader. Heartland Firmway, who was last year's Kindergarten and Junvenile Stakes champion, has never missed the board in stakes action this season. He has won three of his nine starts, including his second leg division of the Golden Boy at Holland Fair on July 28. The winner of six races in 14 career starts has banked $18,067 in purse earnings to date.
Giesbrecht also worked out the winning trip for sophomore pacing filly Brave Rustler ($3.40) in the $11,540 Silk Lace Final. He sent the favoured Payday Hanover-Rustlers Bravheart miss three-wide at the third quarter mark en route to a two and three-quarter length triumph in 2:08.1. Pacesetter Notch Yer Princess settled for second just ahead of pocket-sitter Sals Workin Lady.
Marc Fillion trains the brown filly for Drader. She has won three of her nine starts this year after going winless in six freshman outings and now sports a bankroll totalling $9,712.
Reys N A Commotion ($4.80) held off favourite Alcars May Spree by a neck to win this year's $3,240 Juvenile Stake for two-year-olds in 2:09.1. The Armbro Trench-Thundrabird colt broke his maiden in wire-to-wire fashion with Michel Rey aboard for owner, trainer and breeder Richard Rey of St. Claude, MB. Early breaker Hands Downs finished 12 lengths behind in third while Bust My Butt rounded out the field.
To view this weekend's harness racing results, click on the following links:
Saturday Results - Miami / Sunday Results - Miami