Royal Morn Shines In Sandown Breeders Stakes

Published: October 4, 2008 05:00 pm EDT

Royal Morn opened Saturday night's card at Fraser Downs with a sizzling victory in the first and fastest of the featured four $16,423 Sandown Breeders Stake divisions for three-year-olds.

With Rod Therres in the bike, Royal Morn, the son of Usher Hanover, posted panels of :29, :58.2 and 1:27.2 en route to victory in 1:56.4.

Red Star Tomahawk (Brent Beelby) finished over a length back in second and Happy Larry (Bill Davis) rounded out the top three.

Therres trains and co-owns the eight-time winner, who sports a bankroll of $110,915, with Charles Macfarlane of Victoria, B.C.

In the second split, Garden Gatefantasy used off-the-pace tactics to score in 2:00 for trainer/driver Gord Abbott.

The Island Fantasy colt sat fourth as Lonnie Mack (Bill Davis) set the pace with fractions of :28.1, :57.4 and 1:28.2, but kicked it into gear to capture the win in deep stretch.

Moonlight Bubba (Jim Marino) was the runner-up and Red Star Wildcard (Brent Beelby) got up for third.

Garden Gatefantasy is owned by the Garden Gate Stables Ltd. of Victoria and the Seaspray Stables Ltd. of Nanaimo, B.C. The win was his sixth lifetime score, increasing his earnings to $48,128.

Red Star Hottie prevailed in her division for trainer/driver Brent Beelby and owner Robert Murphy of Surrey, B.C.

Coming off a victory in last week's Arbutus Final, the As Promised miss notched her sixth lifetime score with a 1:58.2 winning effort.

The post time favourite sat third as Jans Rich Girl (Scott Knight) posted the opening panels of :28.2 and :59. Just after the half, Beelby brushed up to challenge the pacesetter, poking a head in front as they passed the third quarter pole in 1:27.1. Jans Rich Girl battled back on the inside down the stretch, but Red Star Hottie pulled away by almost three lengths for the win.

Jans Rich Girl stayed for second and longshot Garden Gate Creme (Gord Abbott) nabbed the show spot.

In the final division, Smoke A Few and driver David Hudon smoked the entire field with a 1:59.3 wire-to-wire victory. The Walter Slopianka trainee laid down fractions of :29, :58.3 and 1:28.1 en route to victory lane.

Pureform Bunny (Bill Davis) finished second and Alexaastrordinaire (Jim Marino) was third.

The daughter of Hoist A Few picked up her fifth lifetime win and increased her earnings to $40,424 for J J J Stables of Aldergrove, B.C. and Alan Anderson of Willows, California.

In other action, Furious Five took home the lion's share of the $17,000 purse in the Fillies & Mares Open Pace.

In rein to Serge Masse, the daughter of Faldo Hanover got away sixth as Judges Acenthehole (Jim Marino) led the field to the first quarter pole in :28.2. Lil Kim (James Burke) took over the lead before the half in :57.4 and posted the following panel in 1:26.4. Furious Five, who was shuffled back to seventh, used a furious final quarter effort to prevail by three-quarters of a length in 1:57 flat.

Judges Acenthehole stayed for second as Lil Kim faded to third.

The five-year-old mare is trained by Masse for Jarm Investments Ltd. of Beaumont, Atla. The bay pacer's 27th lifetime score lifted her bankroll to $403,362.

To view Saturday's result, click here.

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