DREAM ADDED TO BATTLE
The battle lines, which were already
forming, have been expanded.
Fraser Downs racing aficionados have
been anticipating a clash between Red Star Ginny and
Betterfrombehind in this year’s Breeders Stakes final on
Nov. 11’s big Classic Day.
After last Saturday’s first elimination
legs nothing was changed, except for word that Alberta
invader Patriot Dream will join the chase.
The Alberta filly is co-owned by
Vancouver’s Bill Boden and is eligible for B.C. stakes.
Fresh from a 1:56.3 victory Saturday in the $76,339 Heritage
Stake final at Calgary, her connections have decided to try
to add a B.C. triumph.
Breeders Stakes rules say a horse only
has to compete in one of the elimination legs and, if
winning enough money to be in the top nine, can be a part of
the final, in this case for a $100,000 purse.
Patriot Dream has been installed as a
4-5 favorite in her elimination Saturday but however strong
Patriot Dream is, it doesn’t mean Ginny and BFB will take to
the hills.
Not after impressive performances in
last Saturday’s legs.
In the faster of the two divisions with
purses of $20,163, J J J Stables and Alan and Mark Anderson
took another win with Betterfrombehind, a daughter of Kents
On Nuke.
Betterfrombehind, a 1-2 favorite, went
gate to wire in 1:55.3 for driver Bill Davis.
Fast-finishing Jimmy Jams Jubilee
(Pacific Rocket) finished second by a neck while Red Star
Dreamglo (Island Fantasy) picked up show position.
BFB, trained by Alan Anderson, has won
half of her 12 starts this year to pad her life earnings to
$168,000.
Red Star Ginny, by Pacific Rocket,
paced to an impressive seven-length victory in 1:56.3 for
driver/trainer Clint Warrington in her division. A 1-9
favorite, Ginny, owned by Robert Murphy, had already this
year won the Dogwood and a Sandown Breeders division (over
Betterfrombehind).
Anything Anytime (Jeremys Gambit)
caught Classic Socks (Kents On Nuke) at the wire for
second.
Murphy and Anderson youngsters led the
way in the other divisions too.
Red Star Senator captured the fastest
of three $15,596 colt and gelding divisions, coming from off
the pace to trip the clock in a new life mark of 1:54.2
(just a fifth of a second off the track record for his age
and gender).
The 3-5 favorite won by 2¾ lengths over
Dal Reo Rebel (Brace Yourself) and We Winnie Winston (Usher
Hanover).
Driven to victory by Jim Burke for
trainer Robert Merschback, the son of Pacific Rocket has won
six of 24 starts on the year for earnings of $114,000 for
owner Mary Murphy.
The other two divisions were captured
by owners J J J Stables and Alan and Mark Anderson.
Wild Rumour paced his mile gate to wire
for driver Serge Masse in a 1:55.2 clocking for a 4½ length
win over 39-1 shot Wild Dunes Force (Atomic Force) and
Whaturmoneybought (Safe N Rich). The son of Key Prospect was
a 1-5 favorite and now has five wins in 16 starts and
earnings of $102,800 lifetime.
Anderson’s other trainee, Active Pass
won in similar style for driver Bill Davis prevailing in
1:55, a new life mark for the Kents On Nuke colt. Red Star
Yogi (Storm Compensation) and Lunar TKO (Atomic Force)
finished second and third respectively while 3-2 favorite
Mattswhereitsat made a break and finished ninth.
MEANWHILE AT TWO: Red Star
Biggirl did nothing last Friday to end the feeling she is
the dominant two-year-old filly in B.C.
On a sloppy track at Fraser Downs, the
daughter of Grinfromeartoear rolled to a 7¾-length decision
in one of two elimination legs of the B.C. Breeders Stakes.
Biggirl, who set a track record for her
age and gender of 1:56.1 on the Downs’ opening weekend, went
gate to wire for driver/trainer Clint Warrington. Owned by
breeder Robert Murphy, Biggirl was the 1-9 favorite. She is
now undefeated in three lifetime tries including a Sandown
Breeders division win and the track record decision, which
came over older horses.
Rick White’s Twentyten (Albert Albert),
a 12-2 choice, was second with 27-1 shot Silvery Belle (Just
Camelot) third.
Sweetypea, also a winner of a division
on the Island, won the other elimination for fillies.
The 3-1 second choice jumped to the
lead off the gate and held off a late challenge from 2-5
favorite Muddy Waters to win by a neck in 1:59.2.
Muddy Waters (Kents On Nukes) started a
move after the half and battled with the winner from the
three-quarter pole. Red Star Ocean (Mattduff) was third.
Dave Hudon trains and drives the
winner, a daughter of Freedoms Pass, for familiar owners,
wife Kelly and son David.
Joe Millionaire prevailed in a tough
three-horse battle in one of three colts and geldings
division races. The son of No Nukes, trained and driven by
Jim Wiggins, held the lead at the quarter but was one the
outside. He then settled into the two-hole with Superfecta
Kid taking the lead and they raced one-two to the stretch.
Joe, a 5-2 choice, came on to win by a
half length in 1:59.2 with Wildniteiscalling (Kents On
Nukes) coming late for second. Superfecta Kid (Fully
Loaded), the 8-5 favorite, was third.
It was the second win in as many
lifetime starts for Joe Millionaire who is owned by Charles
MacFarlane, Comstat Stable and Mary Jane Wiggins.
Badtimingthatsall recovered from an
early miscue in the second elimination to take command and
then hold off a late challenge to narrowly win by a neck in
2:00. BTTA made a break while charging up from the six hole
on the gate but quickly got back on stride and had the lead
at the half.
Red Star Islander (Island Fantasy),
part of a favored 1-5 entry, closed strongly for second and
Enchala (As Promised), a 54-1 long shot, also closed well
for third.
Badtimingthatsall picked up his first
win in three attempts this year for the son of Kents On
Nukes owned by trainer Alan Anderson and the J J J Stable.
Even-money favorite Limbosdoublecross
was parked to the quarter but was in control by the half and
pulled away for a convincing victory in the third
elimination.
The son of Albert Albert won by 6¾
lengths in 1:59.3 in taking his second win in three career
starts. He is trained and driven by Rick White who co-owns
with Jan Dryden.
Tackman (Dal Reo Hop Sing), at 18-1 was
second and Seven Seas Biscuit (Scruffy Hanover), at 26-1 was
third.
The second legs of the Breeders Stakes
will be held this Friday with the top nine money-winning
finishers returning for the $60,000 final on Nov.
11.
SUCCESSFUL RAID: While Breeders
Stakes races dominated action last week at Fraser Downs,
there were significant other happenings on the track.
One of those was the open event where
horses owned by Robert Murphy finished one-two. Newcomer
Lance Raider, making only his third start at the Downs and
of the year, won by a head after a tough stretch battle with
stablemate Armbro Bach.
Raider, a six-year-old son of Keystone
Raider, made it two wins in those three starts for trainer
Bob Merschback. Jim Marino piloted Lance to career win
number 18 which boosted his earnings to more than $144,000.
Downs patrons will recall Bach as a
strong part of trainer Ray Gemmill’s stable before being
claimed for more than $60,000 by Murphy.
The entry was a 4-5 favorite with 9-1
shot Duke Is Duke closing strongly for third.
Cameezy made it two wins in a row for
trainer Serge Masse on Thursday and in so doing ended I The
Undersigned’s five-race winning streak. I The Undersigned
had climbed from $4,000 to $8,000 in the claiming ranks
during her streak.
Another newcomer, Accent Seelster, made
it two in a row with a 1:55.2 new lifetime mark winning
effort Thursday for trainer/driver Doug Moore.
On a fast track Saturday, Dal Reo
Revolt, leased by Bill Davis, impressively set a lifetime
mark of 1:55.1 – knocking off a second from a 2004 victory.
SERGE SURGING: Serge Masse
continued on his early-season roll at Fraser Downs as he
again led the trainer/driver statistics.
Masse picked up six driving victories –
three on Thursday – to widen his meet lead. He now has 15,
four more than perennial leader Bill Davis.
Davis and Barry Treen each had four
last week while Clint Warrington had three. Jim Marino, Gord
Abbott, Jim Burke, Dave Hudon and Doug Moore had two
apiece.
Masse made five visits to the winner’s
enclosure as a trainer and boosted his meet leading total to
14, six more than Davis.
Alan Anderson had four triumphs last
week, all in the Breeders Stakes events. Warrington and
Wayne Isbister had three victories while Treen and Bob
Merschback had two each.
SALE INCENTIVE: As an incentive
to B.C. horse owners and horsemen, Fraser Downs Racetrack &
Casino will assist in the bringing in of racehorses from
sales in eastern Canada and the United States.
Starting Nov. 1, $50,000 has been
allotted for the horse shipment incentive program to help
aid in the shipment of race-qualified horses from the
eastern sales to B.C. for racing at Fraser Downs.
Upon the submitting of a shipping
receipt by anyone who purchased a race horse(s), up to
$2,000 Canadian per horse will be reimbursed on any horse
that has a sale value of $8,000 or more. Each horse owner
will be restricted under the program to bringing in a
maximum of five horses.
The horse shipment incentive program
will end Jan. 31, 2006. To be eligible for the
reimbursement, the horse must remain in B.C. until March 30,
2006.
“This is an added incentive to
encourage horsemen to bring in more horses,” said Keith
Quinlan, director of racing for Fraser Downs.
MARES COMING: The B.C.
Standardbred Breeders Society will again have broodmares on
the block in its annual yearling sale.
Bill Pambrun, the society’s president,
will be off to the Harrisburg sale in the eastern United
States to bring back a small number of mares in foal.
Upon arrival, the mares will be part of
a B.C. sale, which already has drawn a record consignment of
129 yearling horses.
The online – at the B.C. Standardbred
Association web site -- and printed catalogues are available
for the yearling sale. There is strong representation of
B.C. and out-of-province sires in the catalogue.
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.
The sale will start at 2 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 23 in the Cloverdale Agriplex.
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