The records continue to fall at The Track On 2, with the card of harness racing on Saturday, Sept. 2 producing two new track standards.
Senga Nightmare was never better than she was on Saturday, setting a new lifetime mark while establishing a new track record for older pacing mares in a $5,800 conditioned event.
As Havinfuninthesun (Tom Miller) setting sharp fractions of :26.2 and :54.1 to the half, Ryan Grundy tipped Senga Nightmare from fifth to attack first over around the far turn. Havinfuninthesun still maintained command by the 1:24 third station but the strides were starting to shorten. Senga Nightmare wrestled command by the head of the lane and through a :27.3 final panel hit the wire in 1:51.4. Outlaw Blue Isle (Jamie Gray) was second, more than three lengths in arrears, with Gin Is Better (Clint Warrington, Jr.) rounding out the top trio.
The previous mark of 1:52.2 was set last week by Sunshineatthebeach.
Winning driver Ryan Grundy also owns and trains five-year-old Senga Nightmare (Vertical Horizon - Nells Sweet Future), now a 17-time winner in her career with nearly $150,000 in earnings. She paid $5.30 to win as the 3-2 second choice.
After Lumber Baron tied Handsome Dan's 1:53.2 track record for three-year-old pacing geldings in the first race, Catfish Jack set a new divisional track standard in the finale, a $5,300 conditioned dash.
Tom Miller had Catfish Jack settled early into the pocket behind Jus Ched (Logan Gillis), and then was eventually shuffled to third as Tin Can Timmy (Dave Kelly) forged to the front and carved out panels of :55.2 to the half and 1:24 to the three-quarters. The outer flow had developed by this point, with Catfish Jack third along the rail and two horses in the outer flow. Turning for home, those two-path rivals fanned wide and established a wall in front of Catfish Jack. Miller saw daylight to the inside, angled Catfish Jack along the cones and the colt responded with enough late kick to hold off the hard-closing favourite Over The Horizon (Nathan Sobey) by a half-length in 1:52.4. Opulatent Dragon (J. F. Gagne) completed the triactor ticket.
Kelly Crump trains Catfish Jack (BJs Bequia - Hot Night) for breeder-owner Stephen Crump of Scandia, Alta. The sophomore now sports a 5-3-1 summary from 20 seasonal starts and he shaved more than two full seconds off his previous best time. He paid a healthy $35.40 to win.
Nathan Sobey waited for the dust to settle in the $7,000 Fillies & Mares Open, floating Outlaw Sharktastic ($6.80) away unhurried before a backside brush to lead. The 2-1 second choice cleared longshot HF Flower (Mike Hennessy) just after the :56.2 half. From there, Outlaw Sharktastic was untouchable. She opened up a four-length cushion at the 1:24.4 third station and widened that margin to more than four at the wire. The mile was timed in 1:52.4, a new lifetime best, with If Only Id Known (John Chappell) and Stash The Cookies (Logan Gillis) the place and show representatives.
Sobey trains and co-owns Outlaw Sharktastic (Smart Shark - Outlaw Alleyesonme) along with Glenda Winkleman of Edmonton and Glenn Pinel of Calgary, Alta. The five-year-old picked up her 11th lifetime win and sits just shy of six figures in lifetime purse earnings.
To view the results from the Saturday card of harness racing in Lacombe, click the following link: Saturday Results - The Track On 2.