SENATOR REMAINS ON ROLL

Red Star Senator is most definitely on a big roll.

The four-year-old son of Presidential Ball made it three straight victories in the premier event (claiming $35,000, non-winners of $7,500 last six with open pacers) of the weekend at Fraser Downs.

On an ideal night and a fast track last Friday, Senator was all business as he roared gate to wire to win by a whopping six lengths. He covered the mile in 1:53.4, equaling his lifetime best, with a first quarter of 27.4 and a final quarter of 28.1 seconds.

He now has a 5-2-3 record in 12 starts in 2006, season earnings of $44,900 (the most of any competitor), 16 lifetime wins and more than $227,000 in career earnings.

Despite starting from the six-hole in the seven-horse field, Senator, the 1-2 favorite with Jim Burke in the sulky, had the lead in the blink of an eye. He led by 1½ lengths at the first-quarter pole and then pulled away after the half.

Haras Cola Cola, who started outside with odds of 19-1, used a strong move on the backstretch to grab second place while Sucha Smooth Deal, at 13-1, was third.

Red Star Senator is owned by Mary Murphy and trained by Bob Merschback. 

SEVENSEAS SAILS INTO WINNER’S ENCLOSURE: After having to settle for second the previous two weeks in a row, Sail The Sevenseas got a measure of revenge last Friday. Sevenseas, a five-year-old son of Scruffy Hanover, pushed his 2006 mark to 14-5-2-1 in winning over Coyote Hanover, who had won three in a row. Sevenseas has won more than  $36,000 in 2006 for trainer/driver Tim Brown.

Brown has another hot horse in Cher The Wealth, a six-year-old daughter of Wheelin Chance. She captured her fourth successive win; her seventh win in her last eight starts and made her 06 record 13-7-1-1. Better Best, with four, and Cassava, with three, had also carried streaks into that race with Better Best, despite moving well up in class, finishing second.

Still with Brown, he drove Preferred Share, a six-year-old daughter of Safe N Rich, to her second successive victory. Preferred Share now has a 13-6-1-2 mark in 2006 for trainer Ann Cooper.

Trulyatyrant, a six-year-old son of True Tyrant, won his second straight and pushed his 2006 record to 13-7-0-2 for trainer/driver Scott Knight.

Headliner, a five-year-old son of Broadway Blue, ran his record in his last seven to 4-2-0. He was driven by Jim Burke for trainer Bob Merschback.

Twistmyrubberearm sailed to a new career best time of 1:58.1, not bad for a nine-year-old (son of Royal Arms) . . . Dal Reo Bailey, a four-year-old, lowered his life best to 1:58 and Red Star Pristine, a four-year-old mare, dropped hers to 1:58.3. 

The combination of Brown and Cooper clicked again Saturday as Lil Dudes Keeper, a five-year-old son of Blissfull Hall, won his second straight in a new career mark of 1:57.3.

Cucomunga, a four-year-old son of D M Dilinger, won his first (in 13 starts) of 2006 for trainer Rick White as Glenn White drove him to a new life mark of 1:55.2.

Rambo Pass, a five-year-old son of Rambaran, equaled his career best of 1:56.2 as he won his fourth in 11 starts in 06. He was then claimed for the sixth time in his last 11 races.

Davy N Goliath, a four-year-old son of Goliath Bayama, won his first of 06 after 14 starts in a new life mark of 1:59.1 for trainer Wendel Smith and driver Steve Germain. 

BROWN RED HOT: Last weekend – Friday for sure – belonged to Tim Brown in the Downs driving derby.
 

The ever-affable Brown rolled to six victories Friday, and added one Saturday, to lead all pilots.

The seven victories gave Brown 92 for the meet, good for third spot behind Jim Marino and Bill Davis.

Brown is having a strong meet, especially since the flip of the calendar into 2006. He now has 62 wins and a universal driving rating of .316 so far in 2006 compared to 88 wins and .273 UDRS for all of 2005. He has 1,874 lifetime wins.

After starting more than modestly with a ninth in the first race and the fifth in the second Brown took off. He won the third race with Soarnbrace (1:57.1) in wire-to-wire fashion.

He captured race five with Twistmyrubberarm (1:58.1) before registering a natural hat-trick in races eight through 10 with Sail The Sevenseas (1:55.1), Cher The Wealth (1:56) and Dal Reo Bailey (1:58).

To add the dessert he rolled to victory in the finale with Preferred Share (1:59.2).

Jim Burke, who also has been hot in 2006, picked up three winners along with Scott Knight while Serge Masse, Darren Lupul and Dave McKellar had two each.

Marino, who has a big lead with 130 meet victories, was not a happy camper as he was blanked on the weekend. He sat out Friday with a one-day suspension (Brown drove three of his winners with horses usually driven by Marino) and then was shut out in 12 starts on Saturday.

Six trainers shared honors with two trips apiece to the winner’s enclosure: Lupul, Brown, Bob Merschback, Mike Glover, McKellar and Ann Cooper.  

CONDOLENCES EXTENDED: It has been a sad time for Fraser Downs and its extended family in recent weeks as Paul Thetford, Kathy Reen and Pat Fenton passed away.

Thetford, 78, was a long-time horseman and horse fan. Among his survivors are wife Jean, daughter Angel and son-in-law Brett Currie (a Downs trainer and breeder) and son Dave McKellar, a Downs driver/trainer.

Thetford was an avid supporter of Greener Pastures, the B.C. Standardbred Adoption Society, and his request was that any donations offered be made to that organization.

Reen, the daughter of horseman Peter Reen, passed away in hospital. She was the mother of two young sons, Udo and Levi.

Fenton worked in the mutuels department on the grandstand side of Fraser Downs since it first opened as Cloverdale Raceway in 1976.

Condolences go out to all family and friends.

 
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