SENATOR MAKES POINT
Red Star Senator, despite his youth,
showed the experience of many of his Ottawa namesakes, by
winning the open last Sunday at Fraser Downs.
Senator, the just-turned four-year-old
son of Presidential Ball, moved to the two-hole off the
gate, and sat there patiently until heading for home. Then
he toughly took on Duca, the 1-5 favorite, in a stretch
battle that resulted in a nose (how about whisker) verdict.
Senator, owned by Mary Murphy, trained
by Bob Merschback and driven by Jim Burke, covered the mile
in a career best 1:53.4.
Duca, the newcomer to the Downs who was
highly impressive in winning the open the previous week, had
rushed to the front from the five hole. He looked like money
from home again until Senator, part of a 4-1 second choice
entry, won in a photo that had the judges studying long and
hard.
Haras Colta Cola, at 33-1 and now a
grizzled veteran of seven and the oldest in the race,
started from the rail, settled for third early and never
gave up that spot to the wire.
Armbro Bach was fourth in the field of
eight of the Downs’ best.
Senator ran his 2006 record to 2-1-3 in
seven starts with more than $21,000 in earnings. He has
captured more than $200,000 in his career.
BETTER AND BETTER:
Betterfrombehind has now taken on the big (older) girls. The
result is the same.
The four-year-old daughter of Kents On
Nuke has dominated the racing scene at Fraser Downs in her
age class for the previous two years. On Feb. 12 she won her
first stakes race, the Miss Valentine, as a four-year-old.
Last Saturday she faced eight of the
best mares on the Downs grounds. Starting from the five-hole
on the gate and with new driver Serge Masse, she roared off
the gate and grabbed the lead, clearing to the rail at the
quarter. The 3-5 favorite, owned by trainer Al Anderson,
Mark Anderson and J J J Stable, never looked back in winning
by 1˝ lengths in a time of 1:56.
Carson Jane, who has been the class of
the mares open at the Downs meet, got the garden two-hole
behind Betterfrombehind, but an attack attempt in the
homestretch was not enough.
Jimmy Jams Jubilee, another
four-year-old, was two more lengths back in third despite
starting at 27-1 odds.
Betterfrombehind now has two wins in as
many starts in 2006 for $24,475 in earnings. She has 17
career victories in 24 starts and earnings of more than
$265,000.
She has been named the 4-5 overnight
favorite when she takes on most of the same horses in the
$39,000-plus Miss Cloverdale stake on Saturday.
She will start from the four spot on
the gate in the field of seven. Carson Jane, part of the 2-1
second choice entry along with Ivys Wine, has the three, and
Jimmy Jams Jubilee has the rail.
Others are Rustle For It, Make Some
Noise and Concrete Angel.
NO ORDINARY JOE: Joe Millionaire
performed like one last Friday as he won his second in a
row, in a new life mark of 1:56.2. Jim Wiggins trains and
drives the three-year-old son of No Nukes.
Titans Revenge, a nine-year old son of
Scruffy Hanover, won his second straight and third in five
starts in 2006 for trainer/driver Tim Brown.
Cher The Wealth, a six-year-old
daughter of Wheelin Chance, two weeks ago set a life mark of
1:56.2 and last Saturday made it two wins in a row for
trainer/driver Tim Brown.
Dal Reo Indy, a four-year-old daughter
of Dal Reo Hop Sing, raced to victory for trainer Bill
Davis, Jr. and driver Bill Davis in a career best 1:57.2
last Sunday. Indy has three wins and two seconds in seven
starts in 2006.
Hurricane Pat, a four-year-old daughter
of Falcons Future, registered a new life mark of 1:58.4 for
driver/trainer John Hudon.
Coco Bongo, also four and a daughter of
Northern Luck, covered the mile in 1:58.1 while running her
2006 record to 6-2-1-1 for driver/trainer Jim Marino.
WIGGINS SIDELINED: Driver Jim
Wiggins suffered a dislocated shoulder and a sprained ankle
in a spectacular spill in the seventh race last Sunday at
the Downs. The accident involved six of the nine entrants in
the field and the race was declared a no contest.
Wiggins was thrown quite a distance
from the sulky behind Southside Playboy into the infield and
landed on his shoulder. It was the left shoulder for Jim,
who is lefthanded and he will need six to eight weeks of
rehab.
Doug Moore, who was aboard for Duffs
Tavern, suffered a right arm injury. X-rays have not yet
proved conclusive but Thursday Moore still did not have any
freedom of motion in the arm.
John Hudon, Darren Howald and Tim
Brown, also hit the ground, but came back to driver later on
the card.
Duffs Tavern suffered a shoulder injury
and will be out for a while but the other horses were free
of any serious injuries.
Meanwhile, Brown continued his recent
roll and Jim Marino and Bill Davis again played leapfrog
atop the driver standings.
Brown had four wins Friday and seven
for the weekend to move into fourth overall with 52
victories.
Marino had a handful and Davis three,
which shifted Marino to the top with 88 wins, one ahead of
Davis.
Scott Knight also had a four-bagger –
on Saturday – and five for the weekend. Rick White had three
while Jim Burke and Wiggins had two apiece.
Driver/trainer Greg A. Smith got his
first victory of the year.
The wily old veteran Ray Gemmill led
all trainers with four victories. Marino and White had three
each while Brown, Wiggins, Knight, Heather Burke and Ann
Cooper shared two each.
SUPER, SUPER: One lucky, and
regular, patron at the Downs proved that any strategy can
work when it comes to wagering – and that you don’t have to
spend big bucks to receive big.
Last Saturday’s final race superfecta
finished 7-8-6-9. The patron boxed the four outside horses
with a 20-cent superfecta wager.
It cost $4.80 and won $8,740.
NICE GESTURE: Niceness beyond
the average, that’s what Edith and Pat McCawley of
Aldergrove did last week.
The 58-year married couple, presented a
horse blanket to pick-up man Tim Heidt (and his horse) last
Sunday in the winner’s enclosure after the second race.
“We just felt he should be recognized
for the important job he does,” said Edith.
“I’m entertained by him and his horse,”
said Pat with a big smile.
The McCawleys, who are long-time (“we
were here the second day after the track opened 1976)” and
regular patrons, feel that staff at the Downs “are our
family.”
LEN LOOKS GOOD: Surrey’s Len
Zurowski has shown he could be the favorite in the
California Dreamin’ Handicapping Contest at Fraser Downs by
winning for the second time. Zurowski captured week eight
last Saturday after earlier showing the way in week three.
Zurowski had a total of $421 to
narrowly take the week’s title and the $250 weekly prize.
Lorne Morisset was only $4 behind in
second. Bernadette Cook finished third with $347 followed by
Tom Christianson at $327. Grabbing fifth spot with $313 was
Lloyd Burbridge, who also is a former weekly winner, taking
week six.
Others in the final already are Mark
McNulty, Ian Barrie, Koji Kariya, Tom Mohammed, Art Worsfold
and Bob Kosolofski. They will compete head-to-head on
Saturday, March 11 in the Homestretch Party Zone. There are
two more weeks in the 10-week contest.
The winner will spend a weekend at
Santa Anita racetrack in California for the Santa Anita
Derby on April 8.
Each Saturday contestants handicap a
series of races from Santa Anita. Entry ballots are
available at Guest Services the morning of each contest day
and entry forms must be submitted before the scheduled post
of the second race at Santa Anita.
The contest consists of six races from
the Santa Anita card, races three through eight, of which
three must be handicapped. For each of the three horses
selected, a mythical $20 win/place/show bet will be placed.
At the end of each contest day, scores will be tallied and
the entrant with the highest total for that contest day will
be crowned a finalist and will receive the weekly $250 prize
money.
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