Haras Colta Cola stops Bre X streak
Haras Colta Cola has ended Bre X’s
impressive run of six straight victories in the Invite at
Fraser Downs.
Cola, a four-year-old gelded son of
Armbro Operative out of Celes Lady, used a perfect
garden-spot (two-hole) trip, to edge Bre X by a neck. Driven
by Rick White and trained by Paul Harrison for owners Off
Track Stable, Haras Colta Cola covered the mile in 1:55.1, a
new lifetime mark.
Bre X was handicapped to the outside
six post and was still sixth, eight lengths back at the
quarter. He was first up and had moved to third at the half
and second at the ¾ pole.
However, White beautifully manoeuvred
Haras Colta Cola through a powerful stretch drive for the
win.
Red Star Justice, who recently covered
the mile in 1:53.2, the track record he shares with Bre X,
had to battle to get the lead at the quarter and finished
third, 1½ lengths back.
“We are really thrilled,” said Harrison
the next day. “I thought as he came by on the backstretch
that he was a little more interested than the week before.”
“We’ll give it another go next week,”
said Paul’s wife Janet, adding that, “lots of people have
been congratulating us.”
Cola had an excellent three-year-old
season, winning 12 times in 20 starts, but had only one win
(Oct. 10 in the Invite) in 21 starts in 2003. He has seven
seconds and now has earned more than $40,000 for the year.
DIGGING IT: And so it continues
for Digs Girl. The seven-year-old mare, owned by Laurie
Davis and the Victoria Pacing Stable, won her 10th race in a
row at Fraser Downs last Friday.
The daughter of Dignatarian had to work
hard this time, catching the front-runner in the stretch but
winning by only a neck over two fast-closers, long shot West
Coast Night and Chute Again.
Digs Girl has now made 10 starts at the
meet and won them all for driver/trainer Bill Davis. She has
13 wins in 26 starts in 2003.
WHAT A PUNCH: Proberts Punch has
knocked Maxamillenium off his six-race winning streak.
Proberts Punch, owned by Maximracingstableinc and trained
and driven by Jim Burke, used a strong stretch finish to
edge Maxamillenium by a neck in a battle of three-year-olds
last Sunday. Proberts Punch paced the mile in 1:56.4 for his
third win in a row and sixth win in seven starts in 2003.
HONORS SHARED: The driver and
trainer derbies were a close battle last weekend. Thanks to
four victories last Sunday, Jim Burke was able to corral the
week’s driver honors – with the four. Rick White, Carl
Sibiga, Brad Watt, Bill Davis and Tim Brown all had three.
Trainer Heather Sifert used a hat-trick
on Friday night to lead the way. Deadlocked at two were Jim
Mohorich, Darren Lupul, Wayne Isbister and Davis.
FAMILY FUN: Jan Miscich of
Langley was the fifth week’s winner of the Ironman
Handicapping Challenge. Miscich, whose husband Ron already
won an Ironman week, won $250 for her handicapping expertise
while Russell Smith of Port Coquitlam was second and won
$150 and Mark Hayden of Delta was third and took home $100.
Miscich had $102.90 in winnings after
picking two winners and five seconds (a couple for big
prices) in the eight races. Smith had $91 and Hayden was
close with $88.40.
All patrons have to do is pick a horse
in a designated race from eight different race tracks (such
as Woodbine, Santa Anita, Mohawk, Bay Meadows) and receive
dollars for a win, place or show finish. Each week there
will be three winners.
This Saturday is the last in the
Challenge and entries must be in by 11:30 a.m. Programs for
the contest are available at the Welcome Centre at noon
Friday.
The highly-popular California Dreamin
handicapping event is scheduled to start on Dec. 27.
AFTERNOON DELIGHT: Don’t forget
that Fraser Downs switches to its winter schedule this
weekend. The post time for the first race on both Saturdays
and Sundays will be 1:15 p.m. until April 10, 2004.
There will be a holiday afternoon card
on Boxing Day (Dec. 26) and another on New Years Day (a
Thursday).
DID YOU KNOW: On Nov. 30, 1962
that a closing night crowd of 35,677 wagered $3.2 million at
Yonkers Raceway in New York, marking the first time in
harness racing history that a track's handle topped $3
million for a single night.
MAINMAN’S MOONSHOT: The follower
of Mainman’s Moonshot, the betting tip(?) which suggests a
lonnnnng shot with a slight chance, is happy. Following what
was seemingly a flukey winning tip on the first week, it
took the Moonshot another 12 weeks to pick another.
Groucho N, a 30-1 shot, paid $61.60
after winning the 12th race last Saturday.
If that follower has placed a $2 win
wager on all 13 picks he/she is now up $82.30, including
Spider M’s $46.70 payoff in week one.
This week we will try Als Boys, a 10-1
morning line selection, in the 13th race
Saturday.
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