The Great Shark punctuated his track-record performance from six days ago by repeating it, this time against stakes competition in the $27,400 second division of the Alberta Sires Stakes Rising Star for rookie pacing males on Saturday, Sept. 20 at The Track on 2.
Dave Kelly let the action develop in front of him from the rail spot, sitting third to the quarter in :28.4 before promptly pointing The Great Shark to the front. After reaching the half in :57.3, the heavily favoured The Great Shark picked up speed and powered clear of the field by six lengths to three-quarters in 1:26.1. Kelly had little work to do from there as the gelding cruised to the wire to tie his own record as the fastest two-year-old ever at The Track on 2 in 1:54.3. He was two lengths clear of Mayhem N Madness (Jamie Gray), who snagged second from Mr Jeter (Kelly Hoerdt).
The Great Shark has won three straight starts, all at The Track on 2, since his place finish on Aug. 17. He broke the track record for a rookie pacing gelding, and the overall two-year-old record, on Sept. 14. The son of Smart Shark-Great Desire has earned $23,329 with three wins from six outings for trainer Brinsley Brooking-Lutz and owners Michelle Danroth of Lumby, B.C., who bred the gelding, and Brent Grundy of Edmonton, Alta. He returned $2.10.
Ruler Of Dragons, who has looked the part of a rising star through four unbeaten starts, persevered through adversity to win a chaotic first division. Away from post two, he sat a gapped third as Libra Mundi (Brandon Campbell) out-sprinted Chasing Tigers (Jacques Lambert) for the lead in a :29 first panel. The field condensed as they approached the half in :59.1, and Jamie Gray activated Ruler Of Dragons from third to advance first-over into the last turn. The leader then broke stride, backsteaming the pocket-sitting Chasing Tigers before entering the safety lane to gift Ruler Of Dragons a clear lead.
The job wasn’t finished, however, with Sharkashark (Logan Gillis) first-up and pressing, forcing Ruler Of Dragons to stay in top gear through three-quarters in 1:27.3. Sharkashark bore in on the leader as they entered the turn, and they briefly hooked wheels before Sharkashark got free while interfering with multiple other horses. Hello Dragon (Mike Hennessy), who had swung three-wide from the back, burst to the front amid the mayhem, with Ruler Of Dragons fighting on at the pylons. Hello Dragon led into deep-stretch, but an indomitable Ruler Of Dragons rallied back in the final strides and got up by a neck in 1:58. Hello Dragon finished second, followed by Ramblin Gamblin (Dave Kelly).
Ruler Of Dragons boosted his earnings to $77,850 while extending his perfect record to four. Gray trains the son of Custard The Dragon-Lady Neigh Neigh and co-owns him with JJJ Stables of North Vancouver, B.C. and Paul Sanders of Surrey, B.C. The win price was $2.80.
Mystery Shooter won the $18,467 second division of the Alberta Sires Stakes Starlet for two-year-old pacing fillies, the fastest among three groups on the card. She was third for Nathan Sobey through :29.3, :58.2, and 1:27.2 splits cut out by Dawgonit (Hoerdt) before sliding out on the final turn and firing 5-1/2 lengths clear down the stretch to break her maiden in style in 1:56. Just Mybuckin Luck (Hennessy) was best of the rest, followed by Winds of Magic (Kelly).
Mystery Shooter, trained by Sobey, has earned $20,581 in six starts. The daughter of Mystery Chase-Outlawsurshotshark is owned by Sobey of Sturgeon Country, Alta., Archie Benekos of Calgary, Alta., and Diane Bertrand and Robert Gilhespy of Lake Country, B.C. She returned $15.80.
B A Dragon won the $18,767 first Starlet split, the first half of a stakes double for Gray, JJJ Stables, and Sanders. She pushed to the front past the quarter in :30 for Gray and got a soft second panel to the half in 1:01.1 before feeling the brunt of a first-over attack from Blue Star Aspire (Campbell) to three-quarters in 1:30. B A Dragon repelled that rival coming off the turn and extended her lead to two lengths, coming home a 1-3/4-length winner under wraps in 1:58.1. Blue Star Aspire finished second over Positively Kissed (Sobey).
B A Dragon, trained by Gray, has won back-to-back starts and has hit the board in all four career appearances. The Custard The Dragon-Saucy B filly has now earned $19,658 for owners JJJ Stables, Sanders, and Gray. As the 1-9 favourite, she returned $2.20.
Anything Goes broke her maiden in the $18,467 third split of the Starlet. Logan Gillis directed her forward from post five and secured her a pocket spot behind Jaba Dabba Doo (Hoerdt), who led unchallenged through :29.3, :59.4, and 1:30.2 fractions. It became a two-horse race down the stretch as Jaba Dabba Doo and Anything Goes separated from the rest, and Anything Goes tracked down the pacesetter to prevail by a half-length in 1:57.4. Lovemymockingbird (Gray) was third.
Gillis trains Anything Goes ($7.20), a daughter of Captain Deo-Say Anything, for Todd Teolis of St. Albert, Alta. The filly is now one-for-four with $13,053 in earnings.
Whiplash Smile made it three straight victories as he matched the track record for an aged pacing gelding in the seventh race. He went all the way for driver Gillis, setting :27.4, :56.1, and 1:24.1 fractions en route to a 1:52 victory. He was 5-3/4 lengths clear of West Coast Beach (Hennessy), with Handsome Dan (Sobey) third. Whiplash Smile, an eight-year-old son of Mystician-Westart Love, has won 34 of 141 starts and earned $223,522. Brooking-Lutz of Calgary trains the gelding and co-owns him with Harvey Jaeger of Airdrie, Alta. Whiplash Smile's clocking, a career best, tied the record of Hf Thegreatpumpkin, which was initially set in 2020.
Kelly, in addition to his stakes win at the lines, trained three horses to victory in overnight action. He won with Tin Can Timmy ($2.80) in the third race, Josies Joules ($4.80) in the fifth, and Show Stop ($8.80), who circled the field in the ninth-race finale. Kelly’s triple moved him into second in the trainers’ standings, one win behind joint leaders Travis Ellis and Brooking-Lutz. He has 53 training wins in 260 starts across all tracks this season.
The Starlet and Rising Star comprised the first leg of the Alberta Sires Stakes for two-year-olds. The series will continue on Oct. 1 at Century Mile.
To view Saturday’s harness racing results, click the following link: Saturday Results - The Track on 2.
(Standardbred Canada)