Smooth Criminal and Wrangle Betonme matched the Alberta Downs track record for two-year-old male pacers in their respective Alberta Sires Stakes Lonestar divisions contested Saturday afternoon in Lacombe
.
Both pacers equalled the 1:55.4 record originally set by Wrangler Betonme on August 13.
Smooth Criminal kicked off the Alberta Sires Stakes action winning the first $19,067 division and providing trainer Connie Kolthammer with one of her three top three stakes finishes.
Kolthammer and Smooth Criminal were the early leaders in the opening division, and after watching the parked out Somethinsgoinon (Keith Clark) and then favourite Mjjz R Us (Rod Starkewski) move to the front, they came back on to prevail by half a length in 1:55.4. Somethinsgoinon finished second with Mjjz R Us third.
Smooth Criminal paid $20.40 for the 9-1 upset.
The Blue Burner-Gunslingin Gal gelding, now three-for-five in his career with over $14,000 banked, is owned by Kolthammer’s Outlaw Stable.
The Kolthammer entry of Outlawtowerinferno (Don Monkman Jr.) and Outlaw Beacon (Kolthammer) finished second and third behind the popular pacesetter Wrangler Betonme in a later $19,067 division. Wrangler Betonme romped to a two length victory, equalling his 1:55.4 record for driver Bill Tainsh Jr. and trainer Glenda Smith.
Breeders Dr. Maurice Stewart and Maureen Stewart of Leduc, Alta. share ownership of the As Promised-Ja El Shamrock colt with Lyle and Sandy Reid of Sherwood Park, Alta. The win was the colt’s fourth in a row from five career starts and pushed his bankroll to nearly $30,000.
Wrangler Betonme paid $2.10 to win.
Arroway broke his maiden in the other $18,767 division when he advanced around first over The Cuban (Keith Clark) and collared pacesetter Blue Star Quest (Jeff Stone) in the stretch. The Camystic-Anonymouse colt prevailed by one length in 1:58 over Blue Star Quest and the favoured pocket-sitter Cenalta Power (Ryan Grundy), who held the former two-year-old gelding track record holder bested today by Smooth Criminal.
Darryl Cutting trains Arroway, who sports one win and three seconds on his six-race record with over $12,000 earned, for owner Diane Bertrand of Edmonton, Alta.
Arroway paid $7.70 to win as the 5-2 third choice.
For results from Saturday's harness racing card, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Alberta Downs.
That track is getting faster
That track is getting faster and faster all the time! It's a wonderful track!