J J J, ANDERSONS
CELEBRATE
How would you describe a good day at
the track for an owner and trainer?
How about three wins in a day – coming
in that many starts—and coming in stakes races.
That was the situation for owners J J J
Stables of Aldergrove and Alan Anderson of Willows,
California and trainer Anderson last Saturday as Fraser
Downs held the Sandown Breeders Stakes for two-year-olds.
The combination won two of the colt and
gelding divisions with Dal Reo Rebel and Namedbyfreaks and a
filly division with Betterfrombehind. Al’s brother Mark
shares ownership of the filly.
Top driver Bill Davis drove all three
but such success is not that new to him.
Betterfrombehind, a daughter of Kents
On Nuke, raced in the two-hole garden spot and pulled on the
last turn to beat pacesetter Anything Anytime by two
lengths. BFB covered the last quarter in 28.4 to win the
fastest filly event, a non-wagering race, in 1:59.2.
Millbanks Arrow was third.
Dal Reo Rebel, a son of Brace Yourself
and a 4-5 favorite, went gate-to-wire to win by 1¾ lengths
over Wikiwiki Hyakutake with C C Maxim third. Rebel covered
the mile in 2:00.
Namedbyfreaks also went gate-to-wire in
winning with the fastest time of the stakes races, a 1:58.2.
The son of Kents On Nukes was a 2-1 second choice in the
wagering and won by a whopping 6½ lengths.
He was helped by the fact that
even-money favorite Fast Lane Fusion made a break behind the
gate and was able to catch all but the winner. Double D
Rustler was third.
Rick Mowles, a part of J J J Stables,
admitted with the wide grin of a big winner that he could
not say why his colt has such a name nor could he say what J
J J stood for.
He did say that Anderson and company,
which headed back to California Sunday morning, would be
back for November’s Breeders Stakes.
Lil Dude Ranch and driver/trainer Larry
Micallef also had a good day, winning two races.
Lil Dudes Rockette by Pacific Rocket
used a late charge to win by a head over Jimmy Jams Jubilee
in a filly event, which went in 2:00.4. Jimmy Jams Jubilee,
the 9-5 favorite, led from the gate but could not hold off
the 5-2 second-choice Rockette who was never worse than
third. Hy On Freedom was third.
Fourwoofr, a daughter of D M Dilinger,
captured the other filly race for Lil Dude in 2:00.1.
Fourwoofr, 7-2 third choice, used a strong backstretch move
to move from third to take the lead by the three-quarter
pole. Wild Dunes Diamond (5-2) was a length back in second
and favored Red Star Ginny (even) was third.
Owner Mary Murphy and the strong Red
Star stable got a win in the colt and gelding division when
Red Star Senator, trained by Brent Beelby and driven by
Clint Warrington, won by 1¾ lengths in 2:01. Senator, part
of a 7-1 entry, made a big move on the back side to move to
second, pulled at the head of the stretch to pass pacesetter
Better Days, the 4-5 favorite. Proudsonofscotland was
third.
IN THE PALM: You have to hand it
to us … no, actually we have to hand it to you.
OK, we had the idea … no someone else
had the idea but we did have enough smarts to get some to be
able to hand them to you.
You’re confused … no you’re saying I’m
confused.
Not really, I’m taking about Palm
Pilots, the hand-held computers, which will allow you to
make your bets throughout the Fraser Downs facilities. We
are the first track in Canada to do so.
The Palm Pilots went into use by our
players Tuesday … 25 of each. People must be members of HPI
(in order to have an account) and must sign off on a $200
credit card deposit for the equipment. It will allow them to
wander throughout the facility and wager without ever going
to the mutuel windows.
Another wagering device, slightly
larger – more like a desktop model -- called Tiny Tim’s will
also soon be available at the Downs.
See Jewel Kositsky at the HPI window in
the Finish Line for more information.
“For those that hate line ups, this is
the way to wager on a horse race,” said Downs general
manager Chuck Keeling.
You have to hand it to him.
HERE ARE THE THREES: The
two-year-olds had their first action of the 2004-05 Downs
meet last weekend and this Saturday it will be the
three-year olds that swing into action.
Fourteen fillies and 18 colts are
entered (48 fillies and 59 colts or geldings were eligible)
for the Sandown Breeders Stakes. However, even with no final
there were fewer entries than normally expected, especially
on the filly side.
One of the reasons is Lil Dude Ranch’s
Dal Lil Dudett. The daughter of Apaches Fame was the
two-year-old filly of the year in B.C. in 2003. She has not
stopped there. Already a winner of two stakes in 2004 in B.C,
she also placed second in the star-studded Northlands Filly
Pace in Edmonton in June. In her last 16 starts she has
collected a cheque every time. In 2004 she has earned more
than $90,000.
Two other stakes winners, Red Star
Marianne, who won a race last Friday, and Miss St Labush,
are taking a shot.
Others who entered include
Itsallaboutthemoney, Ivys Wine, Red Star Madeline, Little
Surfer Girl, Red Star Cowgirl and Red Star Lynn. Saying what
the heck were Kamajo Vicky, Chrissy Can Do and La Scala.
On the colt and gelding side the list
of possible winners and contenders is longer. Trainer Tim
Brown has a pair of stakes winners in Seven Seas Cruiser, a
winner last Saturday, and Sail The Seven Seas. Red Star
Stable also has stakes champs in Red Star Sammy and Red Star
Dusty and added Red Star Riverboat.
Lil Dude, although without ace Lil Dude
Starrbuck, who is turned out, will have Da Lil Dude, Jennas
Lil Dude and Lildudeskickinash. Stakes winner Meekos Trucker
from Dave Hudon’s barn and Rambo Pass will be there.
Three-year-old track record holder Hi
Time Ascot is ready, particularly after an impressive win
last Saturday. Rick White has Band On The Run, second to Hi
Time Ascot in that race, in good form as is Rich Camelot for
Sunbury Stables.
Now, thinking this could be fun are
Tequila N Salt, Daves Showboat, Phantom and Imabarontwo.
SPIDER WEAVES WIN: The nursery
rhyme parables continue as the spider and the hare did their
thing again in last Friday’s Invite.
The hare, Haras Colta Cola who captured
the Invite the week before, again raced to the front, this
time from the four hole. Spider M, already an Invite winner
in the early days of the meet, fell to as far back as fourth
(at the quarter).
But in the end (down the stretch) they
battled like warriors with the spider sitting down at the
wire just in front of the hare.
In real life it was Spider M, owned by
Ken Dorman and Janice Wheeler, trained by Dorman and driven
by Larry Micallef, edging Haras Cola Cola, owned by Off
Track Stable and trained and driven by Paul Harrison, by a
neck.
Spider M, a five-year-old son of
Deamons Bell, covered the mile on a sloppy track in 1:56.3,
in winning for the ninth time in 2004. He has won more than
$50,000 for the year.
Red Star Justice, making his second
start since being sidelined back in late March, showed some
late speed and came on to finish third, two lengths behind
Spider M, in the field of seven.
There were two other strong
performances in the less-than-ideal conditions last Friday.
Nuclear Dew N, racing for the first time for owner Dale
Bonner of Grande Prairie, Alta. and trainer Mike Short, was
driven to victory by Bill Davis in 1:56.3 while Dal Reo
Millee, owned and trained by Helmut Ratz and driven by Rod
Therres, captured a race for mares in 1:56.4.
DAVIS HOT: Top driver Bill Davis
continued his hot hand as he drove to seven victories last
weekend.
Davis won five times Saturday,
including three in stakes company and now has 17 for the
meet. Larry Micallef also had a good weekend, picking up
five wins. Jim Marino and Tim Brown each had three triumphs
and Rick White two (and 11 for the meet).
Trainers Ken Dorman and Al Anderson
each had three visits to the winner’s enclosure to lead that
group. White, Brown, Davis and Ray Gemmill had two apiece.
White leads the meet with 10.
HELLO DON: Long-time B.C.
harness racing competitor Don Monkman, Sr. is in Langley
Memorial Hospital after suffering a stroke recently. Monkman
raced for many years, particularly at Ladner, as a driver,
trainer and owner. The Downs racing family wishes Don well.
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