ACTION HEAVY AS DOWNS READIES

Track action has been hot and heavy the last two Mondays as qualifying races have been held to help fill the gap until the Fraser Downs Racetrack & Casino harness season starts Friday, Oct. 14.

One hundred and 15 horses competed on Sept. 26 and 102 this past Monday.

The fields the first day included 14 two-year-olds. They were led by Bill Davis-trained Spartacus Dee J and Limbos Doublecross, trained by Rick White, who won races in 2:00.3 and 2:01 respectively.

Thisisbliss, a three-year-old stake elimination winner at Sandown this summer and conditioned by Wayne Isbister, had the quickest mile on the first day with a 1:55.2 clocking.

Several of the province’s best prepared in one heat with Robert Murphy’s Lance Raider leading the way in 1:56.4. Fraser Downs’ track record holder Infinite Dreams also competed in that battle along with such familiar names as Spider M, Nuclear Dew, Duke Is Duke, C Lec Machine and Meekos Trucker.

Three-year-old Fast Lane Fusion, a Davis charge, was also smoking, pacing the mile in 1:56.

Last Monday, another 12 two-year-olds were in action. Among the freshman winners were Wild Dunes’ Double Stutz in 2:00.2, Bill Boden’s Nazko Daytona in 2:02.3 and Grant Hollingworth’s Rogerthedodger in 2:04.

Bill Davis-trained Nuclear Dew had the fastest time of the day, 1:57, with perennial invitee Haras Colta Cola second. Top mare Carson Jane, trained by Dave Hudon, clocked a 1:57.2 mile and Ray Gemmill’s newcomer, three-year-old Highway Man, paced the course in 1:58.2. 

RECORD ENTRY FOR SALE: A record 129 horses have been consigned for the B.C. Standardbred Breeders Society annual yearling sale.

The sale will start at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 23 in the Cloverdale Agriplex. All yearlings must be presented at the Agriplex by 10 a.m.and will be available for preview from noon to sale time.

In addition to the 129, 30 owners paid the $1,000 fee to make their yearlings eligible to the Sale Stake without going through the sale.

As usual, there is good representation of B.C. and outside sires in the catalogue. B.C. stallions Usher Hanover, Kents On Nuke, Dal Reo Hop Sing and Safe N Rich all have several youngsters. Outside sires include Northern Luck, Aces N Sevens, Straight Path, Life Sign, Rambaran, Jennas Beach Boy, D M Dillinger, Grinfromeartoear, Astreos, Rustler Hanover and Albert Albert among others.

Yearlings consigned include a full sister to Active Pass, 1:55.3f, $62,447 and a half sister to Lo Siento, 1:53.4, $221,558. Other consignments are out of mares that have produced the likes of Mattswhereitsat, Goaheadandlietome, Red Star Ginny and Red Star Gramps.

The consignments are now posted on the sale page. The online and printed catalogues will be available by mid-October.

IDEAL SETS WORLD RECORD: Casie Coleman’s American Ideal has done it again.

American Ideal blazed his way into the harness racing record books with a sensational 1:47.4 world record performance in his $140,800 division of the Bluegrass Series last Saturday at the Red Mile.

The mile time erased the former three-year-old pacing colt record of 1:48, which was held jointly by PB Bullville (2000 at Lexington) and Quik Pulse Mindale (2004 at Balmoral Park), and it came within a tick of equaling Jennas Beach Boy all-age world record of 1:47.3 (1996 at the Meadowlands).

Driven by Mark MacDonald, the son of Western Idea-Lifetime Success was the leader at every call through fractions of :25.4, :53 and 1:20.2 before a final quarter in :27.2.

Thin Blue Line came on in deep stretch for second and Up Front Tornado was third.

American Ideal, who will remain in Lexington for this Saturday’s Tattersalls Stakes, improved his 2005 record to 9-4-1 in 18 starts and pushed his earnings to $623,973 in 2005 and career earnings to $647,605 for partners Mac Nichol of St Albert, AB, and Brittany Farms of Versailles, KY.

 “I’ve learned that you don’t shut him down because you run the chance of choking him,” said MacDonald after the record performance. “Today’s race was very comparable of the move in the Confederation Cup. He was awesome.”

“It's just a real pleasure to train a horse like him,” Coleman, a former competitor at Fraser Downs, told the U.S. Trotting Association. “He was well in hand and finished strong.”

 “I knew he was capable of doing it,” she said. “I didn’t train him this week because it was six days out and he’s just an amazing colt.” 

KID HOT IN SASK: The Cisco Kid or the California Kid can now also be known as the Saskatchewan Kid.

Scott Cisco, who many Downs patrons will remember, had a big weekend as a driver when Marquis Downs in Saskatoon opened its meet.

On Friday, Sept. 30, Cisco had two wins, two seconds and a third in five starts with one win coming while piloting another familiar name Papas Reflection.

The next day Cisco went to the post on six occasions and finished with two wins, one second and two thirds. One of the victories came with Fight For Your Man, trained by Sabrina Shaw. 

ON THIS DAY IN: Oct. 3, 1884 – Johnston takes nearly four seconds off the pacing world record, finishing in 2:06¼ at Chicago and becoming the first pacer to eclipse 2:10.