ANGEL SOARS IN MARES OPEN

Concrete Angel won twice (in 29 starts) in 2005.

Concrete Angel has now won twice (in three starts) in 2006. The latest was last Friday when she was impressive in winning the fillies and mares open at Fraser Downs.

Taking on a field of six, including the 3-5 favorite Rustle For It who was returning from Woodbine in Ontario after an impressive 2005 there, Angel was the best.

The four-year-old daughter of Dream Work came from off the pace to win by 1¼ lengths in a lifetime best of 1:56.3. Trained and co-owned by Dave Jungquist, Concrete Angel now has nine career wins and earnings of more than $59,000.

Driver Gord Abbott was unhurried early with Concrete Angel, settling into fourth. They stayed there until coming first up on the backstretch, holding third on the outside at the three-quarter pole and coming home in 29.1 seconds for the last quarter.

Rustle For It, who had raced early in her career at the Downs, went to the front from the two-hole on the gate with driver/trainer Bill Davis. The winner of more than $117,000 last year led to the head of the stretch but could not hold off Concrete Angel.

Rustle For It had raced Jan. 14 at Woodbine and may have felt the effects of the quick change of scenery.

Cameezy, claimed last week and moved up to the open, was third.

Get set for fine action in the fillies and mares open when Carson Jane and Make Some Noise, who had the week off, rejoin the fray.

TRACK MARKS FALL: Concrete Angel was just one of five horses who set lifetime marks last Friday.

The track was rated good (off one second) when the card started but officials changed the rating to fast for the seventh race.

However, it was evident that super track superintendent Darcy Perdue had things ticketyboo as early as the third race.

Twentyfivetolife, a four-year-old son of Fit For Life, trained by Wally Slopianka and driven by Rod Therres, lowered his mark to 1:56.2. Then it was the same clocking for Oil Town Amigo, a five-year-old son of Brace Yourself, in the sixth with driver Barry Treen for trainer John Currie.

Maxillas Future, the giant four-year-old daughter of Falcons Future, went the mile in 1:59.1 for driver Gord Abbott and trainer Rick Lancaster in the 11th race and one race later Southwind Sage, a five-year-old son of Artsplace, picked up the third 1:56.2 clocking for his new mark for driver Dave McKellar and trainer Jane Kelly.

Luckys Lil Dude made it two straight victories for driver/trainer Tim Brown last Saturday. LLD, a four-year-old son of Nortrhern Luck, did not win in nine starts in 2005.

Nine-year-old As Noted has started 2006 with a bang. The son of As Promised won his second straight for driver/trainer Barry Treen after finishing second in his first start of the year. He won only one of 33 in 2005.

Dal Reo Tiarra cruised to a new life mark of 2:01.4 on an off track for driver/trainer Gord Abbott. The four-year-old daughter of Safe N Rich had a win and four seconds in her last six starts.

Sues Delema came from well off the pace to triumph Sunday and stretch her winning streak to three (along with a second) in 2006. Driver/trainer Barry Treen brought the five-year-old daughter of Freedoms Pass from seventh early and fifth at the head of the stretch.

The Bill Davis trained and driven Ss Sand Dollar, a good old boy at 11 by Beach Towel, won his second in a row, along with two seconds, in 2006. 

EARLY EARNINGS FINE: Magic Pal, an eight-year-old son of Cams Magic Trick, won his fourth race (with two seconds) in his last seven starts. Recently claimed by Robert Murphy for trainer Wayne Isbister, Magic Pal, was driven to victory by Jim Marino in a $35,000 claimer. His win ended the three-race win streak of Caffeined who had to settle for second with Red Star Emerson third.

The purse for the $35,000 claiming race is $13,000. The earnings in 2006 (three weeks) for Magic Pal, Caffeined and Emerson are $12,650, $8,750 and $8,060 respectively. 

ABBOTT, TREEN ALSO HOT: Top Downs’ drivers Jim Marino and Bill Davis continue to battle atop the driver standings but Gord Abbott and Barry Treen have got off to a good 2006.

Marino led the steering colony with six victories last weekend but his margin was but one over Davis and Abbott and two over Treen.

Davis leads the meet with 70, six up on Marino. Abbott, who is fifth at the meet, and Treen each have 11 victories in January.

Davis tied Wayne Isbister in trainer triumphs last weekend with four apiece. Davis, at 40, is now only one win behind Serge Masse for the meet lead.

Treen had three wins while Rick Lancaster, Mike Glover, Dave Smith and Dave Hudon had two each.

Driver/trainer Warren Grant, a regular on the Alberta circuit, got his first win of the year and at the Downs with Blue Star Legacy. 

REMEMBER WHEN: On Jan. 27, 1979, Keith Linton wins six consecutive races at Cloverdale Raceway, falling one win shy of Augustine Ratchford’s record for most dash victories on a card. 

DREAMIN’ DEAD HEAT: It was a dead heat in week four of the California Dreamin’ Handicapping Contest last Saturday at Fraser Downs.

Koji Kariya and Tom Mohammed each had totals of $495 to share honors for the week.

Terry Lindsay with $434 was third, Mark Hayden with $421 was fourth and Robert McLean and Jim Duff, with another tie, this time at $380 each, grabbed the next spot.

Kariya and Mohammed will share the weekly top prize of $250 and each will be invited to take part in the big Dreamin’ contest final.

They will join Len Zurowski, Bob Kosolofski and Art Worsfold in the contest final where contestants will battle head-to-head on Saturday, March 11 in the Homestretch Party Zone.

The contest, which will result in the winner spending a weekend at Santa Anita racetrack in California for the Santa Anita Derby on April 8, runs for 10 consecutive weeks.

Each Saturday until March 4, contestants will be asked to handicap a series of races from Santa Anita. Entry ballots will be made available at Guest Services the morning of each contest day and entry forms must be submitted before the scheduled post of the second race at Santa Anita.

The contest consists of six races from the Santa Anita card, races three through eight, of which three must be handicapped. For each of the three horses selected, a mythical $20 win/place/show bet will be placed.  At the end of each contest day, scores will be tallied and the entrant with the highest total for that contest day will be crowned a finalist and will receive the weekly $250 prize money.

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