Samantha best of December, grooms get award, big payout,
Package Tour nothces win #70 and more
SAMANTHA TOPS DECEMBER: Samantha Square has added
to her many accomplishments by being named IGA Market Place
horse of the month for December. The brilliant and tough
three-year-old filly by Albert Albert out of Gracie Square
won four races in four starts in the month. Owned by June
and John Kauffman of Woodinville, Wash. and Rick White of
Surrey, and trained and driven by White, Samantha did not
have a winning margin less than 3 1/4 lengths in those wins.
Her slowest time of 1:58.2 came over a sloppy track on Dec.
15 when she captured the Sales Stakes for three-year-old
fillies by 12 lengths. Her earnings for the month were
$27,460, a big part of a year that saw her break the record
for highest earnings ever in a year by a B.C. bred filly
with slightly less than $175,000. Representing the sponsor
was Rob Neufeld, owner/operator of the Cloverdale IGA Market
Place.
GOOD GROOMING GROCERIES: Congratulations to Jean
Goulet and Joey Gray for being named as the latest IGA
Market Place groom(s) of the week. Jean works for the Rene
Goulet stable and Joey works for the Wayne Isbister Stable.
SUPER SUPERFECTA: The largest Superfecta in Fraser
Downs history was recorded Sunday when a combination of 3
Plain Legal (10-1), 9 John A (7-1) , 6 Ruler Two (27-1) and
5 Dukes Cigar (2-1) amounted to $48,459.90. There was only
one winning ticket, a $1 purchase at Edmonton's Northlands
Park.
SALUTING PROMISE AND THE ADMIRAL: Nazko Promise,
Sunbury Stables' fine three-year-old colt, finished 2001 on
another high note Sunday at the Downs. After sitting out a
week, the son of As Promised out of Bawita, beat a field of
seven for his fifth victory in a row. Trained and driven by
Dave Jungquist, Nazko Promise covered the mile in 1:57.4 on
a good track. He won $3,950 on the day to run his 2001
earnings, which included a couple of big Stakes wins, to
more than $127,000 . . . Red Star Admiral, also on a roll
these days, started 2002 strongly with his sixth win in
succession. Owned by Robert Murphy, the son of Storm Prince
raced from the outside post in a field of five to take the
lead by the first turn and went on to win in 1:59.1 on the
sloppy track. He was driven by Tim Brown, replacing the
injured Bill Davis, who still gets the training victory.
DEVELOPING STORY: This question was presented by a
diligent backstretcher recently. What horse won a race on
Boxing Day to add to his laurels as the winningest active
contestant at the Downs? The victory for the 10-year-old
gelding was the seventh of the year and 63rd of his career,
most of it at Fraser Downs. The son of Pack Leader is owned
by Deborra Harris, one of a number of owners he has had in
his fine career. If you said Package Tour, you are . . . .
right and wrong. You guessed the right horse but later on
the same card WL Develops League, a recent 13-year-old
arrival from Alberta, won the 70th race of his career .
AND SANTA TOO: The recent annual Backstretch (at
Fraser Downs) Christmas party for children was definitely
the biggest (a record 40 kids) and perhaps the best ever.
Under the fine organizational guidance of Mary Austin, the
party had such highlights as a big tree (donated and
decorated by Bill Turner), Donovan the Magician who even
managed to have one of his pigeons land on the head of Bill
Pambrun and Greg (Santa) Beneen. The organizers want to
thank Turner of the Winners Foundation for his efforts in
selling 50/50 tickets, Jackie Beelby, who won the draw and
promptly donated $100 to the party funds, and especially
Winston Lopez who donated $500 to the event.
HARDER WORK PAYS OFF: Former Fraser Downs trainer
Mark Harder made 2001 a career year as his stable passed the
$2 million mark in seasonal earnings split between Canada
and the United States. The 40-year-old New Zealand native
utilizes the Stephenson Training Centre near Copetown, Ont.
for his Canadian base and from there won more than $1.1
million in Canada. The highlight of his season came when
Pleasure Chest won the Jugette. He also conditions
Free-For-All pacers Rair Earth who banked $489,000 and
Camcracker who earned $272,000. Harder left B.C.and moved to
New Jersey where he served as assistant trainer for Ross
Croghan.
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