BETTERFROMBEHIND AT HER
BEST
Horses from the Murphy stable grabbed
the bulk of the honors on Breeders Classic Day last Friday
at Fraser Downs but it was J J J Stables and Alan and Mark
Anderson’s Betterfrombehind who stole the show.
Betterfrombehind performed brilliantly
as she was much the best in the highly previewed and
much-awaited three-year-old fillies clash on the day that
showcases the cream of young B.C. breds.
Betterfrombehind extended her Fraser
Downs winning streak to 13 as she won by 3¼ lengths to
capture the winner’s share of the $106,883 purse. Also bred
by J J J and the Andersons, the daughter of Kents On Nuke
went gate to wire in 1:56.3 on the sloppy track.
As expected the big three of Better,
Patriot Dream and Red Star Ginny battled for the lead early
in the race. But Patriot Dream, marginally the second choice
behind Betterfrombehind, could never quite threaten the
winner and although finishing second was charged with
interference and placed back to third.
Red Star Ginny, part of the
third-choice entry, was second for half of the race.
However, she was parked outside all that way and eventually
faded well out of contention.
Jimmy Jams Jubilee finished third and
was placed second.
Betterfrombehind, who won the
two-year-old filly final in 2004 and never was beaten in
seven starts in that year, was so good she had driver Bill
Davis impressed.
“She was grabbing on pretty good
today,” he said after the race. “I just let her roll . . . I
didn’t want to choke her down.”
But Rick Mowles of J J J Stables
admitted that Bill said the filly, trained by Al Anderson,
was at her best ever Saturday.
She now has 15 lifetime wins with 2005
earnings of more than $167,000 and career earnings of
$231,000 plus.
As disappointing as that race was to
the Murphy connections, the rest of the major events brought
nothing but smiles.
In the three-year colts and geldings’
race, Red Star Senator, the 3-5 favorite owned by Mary
Murphy, was also just too good.
Senator, bred in Ontario by
Presidential Ball, made it three wins in a row and 11
lifetime with a 4¼-length margin in a time of 1:54.3.
Despite the sloppy conditions the time is just 2/5 of a
second off his age and sex track record.
Senator, trained by Bob Merschback and
driven by Jim Burke, was a 3-5 favorite and got in an early
duel with Active Pass, part of a 6-5 second choice. Active
Pass led to the quarter but Senator took over from there and
rolled to the win. Active Pass was an easy second while We
Winnie Winston was third, 15 lengths behind the winner.
“It seemed as easy as could be,” Burke
admitted and added that hopefully Senator would stay at the
Downs.
Senator now has 11 lifetime wins and
his share of the $111,000-plus purse gave him more than
$177,000 in career earnings. He has an 8-5-8 record in 26
starts this year.
In the sweep of the two-year-old
divisions, horses owned and bred by Robert Murphy, did the
expected and the unexpected.
Red Star Biggirl did not fool anyone as
she won her fifth race in as many career starts. The 3-5
favorite, trained and driven by Clint Warrington, had to
work hard but still won by 1½ lengths in a time of 2:00.4.
(She set the track record of 1:56.1 for two-year-old fillies
just a month ago.)
Sweetypea, the 5-2 second choice,
roared to the lead from her rail position and led to the
head of the stretch with a 1½-length margin. Biggirl was
neatly entrenched in the two-hole although challenged on the
outside by first Muddy Waters and then Furious Five.
Biggirl used a 29.4 second last quarter
to get the win and push her career earnings to more than
$49,000 with her share of the $59,368 purse.
Sweetypea held on for second and Muddy
Waters was third.
“I was a little worried early,”
Warrington admitted. “She only goes as much as she has to,”
and then added, “which is good.”
In the boys’ baby race, the Murphy
entry was only 11-1 but a strong showing in the previous
week’s elimination proved a fore bearer for Red Star
Gladiator.
The son of Storm Compensation broke his
maiden in the elim and last Friday in the $60,946 final used
a late rush to win by a neck in 2:00.4.
Gladiator, bred by Murphy, trained by
Warrington and driven by Dave McKellar, was well back early,
sixth at the quarter and half, 5½ lengths back. Red Star
Islander and favored Badtimingthatsall went for the lead
early and the latter got it just past the quarter and held
it well into the homestretch.
However, Gladiator cleared into the
open just after the three-quarter mark and turned it on from
there with Badtimingthatsall hanging on for second and
Limbos Doublecross getting third.
Gladiator now has two wins in four
starts and pushed his earnings with his share of the $60,946
purse to more than $36,000.
“They are nice horses to drive,”
McKellar said as he talked of his good fortune to be aboard
horses from the Murphy stable. “If you don’t do too much
wrong, you get there.”
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