A feast of stakes
Get out the barbecue sauce, Stakes are the order at
Fraser Downs this weekend.
The Sales Stakes for two-year-olds is set for Friday, the
Sales Stakes for three-year-olds on Saturday and the Mr.
Vancouver, for four-year-old horses and geldings on Sunday.
It means that such star equine competitors as Samantha
Square, Lo Siento and Red Star Admiral will top a strong
billing.
Samantha Square, a three-year-old daughter of
Albert-Albert, is so powerful that only a field of four
others is prepared to take her on Saturday. Because two of
the others would form an entry, leaving but four betting
choices, there will be no parimutuel wagering and the race
will be run as a special just prior (about 12:55 p.m.) to
Saturday's first race.
Samantha, who is trainer and driven by Rick White, has
won three in a row, won the Breeders Stakes in November and
has a lifetime mark of 1:55.4. Should she get the winners
share of the $32,000-plus purse she would become the highest
money-winning three-year-old B.C. bred filly ever (yes, that
includes Fast Lane Cruizin). She has already won more than
$187,000 lifetime and $150,000 as a three-year old.
Lo Siento, trained by Mike Glover and driven by Tim
Brown, will try to rebound from a tough outing in the
Breeders Stakes. The son of Pacific Rocket has a 1:55.1
lifetime best clocking for the mile and is a 9-5 morning
line favourite. He should get a challenge from two entries.
Trainer Bill Davis will have Red Star Navigator, Red Star
Festus and Red Star Justice while trainer Dave Jungquist has
Swod inthe Stone and Repeterpan. The field is so
competitive, however, that the longest shot is Meant To Do
That at 5-1.
On Friday in the Stakes for two-year-olds, Dal Reo Damsel
for the fillies and Red Star Gramps for the colts, will be
the favourites. Damsel, trained and driven by Rod Therres,
is a 9-5 narrow choice over Sim City Central at 2-1.
Gramps, trained and driven by Rene Goulet, is at 4-5. The
son of Storm Prince, won the Breeders Stakes and has only
been out of the top three in one of 10 starts.
Meanwhile, to say Red Star Admiral is glad to be home may
be putting it mildly.
The humungous four-year-old gelding owned by Robert
Murphy did not even let a broken hobble stop him last Sunday
from chalking up his fourth straight win since returning to
Fraser Downs. The son of Storm Prince, a 1-9 favourite, won
by 3/4 length in 1:56.1 in a qualifying leg for Sunday's Mr.
Vancouver Stake.
(Admiral's first start back at the Downs was a second to
Hot Steam, who tied the track record in winning. In one of
Admiral's win since he also equalled the record.)
Admiral, who will be part of an entry with Raging
Promise, is a 6-5 morning line favourite for the
$30,000-plus purse Stake final. Raging Promise, also owned
by Murphy, won the other qualifying leg by 3 1/4 lengths in
a time of 1:56.4.
The main challenge to the Murphy entry should come from
Dal Reo Rocket, who was second to Raging Promise, but who
has drawn the outside eight post.
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