This Saturday (August 29) at Century Downs, a tribute to highly successful owners as the province's top three-year-old fillies dash for cash in the $94,100 Gord & Illa Rumpel Memorial Stake. Then, a salute to former Premier and lifelong backer of Standardbred racing as the finest three-year-old boys vie for the $84,790 Ralph Klein Memorial Stake.
Coming off a magical six-win Saturday and five-win Tuesday, driver Brandon Campbell has been practicing his own brand of social distancing at the Calgary oval lately and he looks poised to repeat some of that behaviour this weekend.
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Major Custard blasted clear of his competition into the stretch to win the first of two eliminations for the Ralph Klein Memorial shut down in 1:52.4 on Saturday (Aug. 22) at Century Downs.
Campbell hustled the Custard The Dragon gelding to the point moving to a :27.3 first quarter and maintained control as West Coast Beach charged uncovered towards the front. Major Custard continued to lead narrowly through a :56.4 half and by three-quarters in 1:24.1 until West Coast Beach made a break around the final turn, giving Major Custard a jump on the field heading for the finish. Horse rallied off cover to take second, two-and-a-half lengths behind the winner, with Trip Hammer taking third. Chazmichaelmichael, off a pocket trip, settled for fourth.
Criminal Record coasted in the other Klein elimination as the even-money favourite in 1:53.4. The colt by Mystery Chase cleared control from post five and faced no challenge through fractions of :27.3, :56.4 and 1:24.3 in progress to a five-and-three-quarter length victory over Strateontilmorning taking second with Outlaw Fire N Ice third. Pocket-sitter Dontpokethedragon faded to fourth.
Drafting behind the dueling leaders, Blue Star Dreaming found room in the stretch and darted with fresh legs to the front to win the faster of two $9,000 eliminations for the Gord & Illa Rumpel Memorial at odds of 26-1.
Driver Mike Hennessy guided Blue Star Dreaming to victory, winning by two and three-quarter lengths in 1:54.1. Century Gianna settled for second with Miss Itunes third and Jessies Girl fourth.
Rockinwithcustard romped in the other Rumpel elim, popping pocket in the stretch for Brandon Campbell and darting away to a five-and-three-quarter length 1:54.4 score over Rockin With Lou, while Indigo Beach and Watch Me Boogie rounded the top four.
Century Downs features limited fan access for Saturday's stakes-packed card of harness racing that also includes three divisions of the Alberta Lonestar for provincally-sired rookie pacing colts and two Alberta Starburst divisions for their female counterparts. For those unable to make it to the track on Saturday, watch and wager from home through HPIBet.
To view the entries for Saturday's card, click the following link: Saturday Entries - Century Downs.
(videos courtesy ASHA, HRA)