BREEDERS CLASSIC
DAY ACTION FILLED
On an event-filled
Breeders Classic Day card at Fraser Downs Saturday the end
result seemed almost too normal for words.
On a rain-deluged
card there was a spill, several recalls, inquiries and
horses placed down, but when the dust had settled (not
really an apropos description for the Lower Mainland)
three favorites and one medium-to-long shot claimed the
major prizes in the Breeders Stakes races.
The spill occurred
in the battle for three-year-old fillies before the race
was officially under way and it involved the 1-5 favorite
Furious Five.
As the field was
coming behind the gate just before the start pole, Furious
Five hooked a shoe and went down, tossing driver/trainer
Serge Masse to the ground. That caused interference to the
trailing Hold On Tonite and driver Bill Davis and a recall
was declared.
That meant a restart
but it was minus Furious Five and Masse. Furious was a vet
scratch (she is OK, just some scratches) and Masse was
banged up. He drove in the next race but then booked off
his others and now is sore.
On the restart, Hold
On Tonite and Davis (on a night where he had four wins)
became the favorite and went on to win the $100,000 event.
Hold On Tonite, by Key Prospect out of Stay Fit, settled
for third early but made a quarter pole move to the lead
and never looked back. She covered the mile in 1:56.2 and
breezed home by 4¼ lengths. Sweetypea was second and Red
Star Dixie third over a track rated 'good' with a
one-second allowance at that time.
J J J Stables of
Aldergrove and trainer Alan and Mark Anderson share
ownership on HOT, who is now a career winner of $73,533
and 4-1-0 in eight career (all in 2006) starts.
Trainer/driver Davis
got another stake victory -- in the $50,000 final for
two-year-old fillies -- when 3-5 favorite Garden Gate Tina
(Rustler Hanover-Silent Town) picked up her third straight
win.
Davis roared off the
gate from the seven hole and battled Red Star Cindy (as
the two clear favorites were expected to do) for the lead.
Tina was parked but pushed past just after the 28.1-second
first quarter and then held off Cindy in a fine stretch
battle. Tina, owned by Niele Jiwan of Surrey, held on for
a neck victory in 1:58.2. Rodeo Princess was third but 9½
lengths back.
Garden Gate Tina is
now three-for-four as a rookie, with earnings of $37,261.
That helps pay some of the reported $85,000 paid by Jiwan
when he purchased Tina the previous week from owners Jerry
Blanchet and Herb Boggs.
Tessters Odd Sock,
by Usher Hanover out of Armbro Nancy and part of a 9-5
favored entry, went gate to wire for trainer/driver Rick
White in the $50,000 final for two-year-old colts and
geldings.
In the race, which
also had a recall and an inquiry, Odd Sock avoided trouble
and went on to win by 6¾ lengths in 1:58.
Whatwouldbuddysay
finished second but was placed seventh when entry mate
Long Last Look was ruled to have interfered with two other
horses. Nazko Summer, a 42-1 shot was placed second from
third and Jack N Rhett was fourth, placed third.
The victory was the
fourth consecutive for Tessters Odd Sock, who is 5-4-0-0
for White and partner Janet Dryden of Surrey, and boosted
his bankroll to $38,915.
The upset winner was
16-1 shot Rowdy B Doud (As Promised-Bradner Joyce) for
trainer/driver Scott Knight in the $100,000 final for
three-year-old colts and geldings.
Rowdy, who had a
ground saving trip through fast fractions, slipped out of
the pocket in the lane enroute to the 1:56.1 career-best
victory. Silk Puddles was second, 1¼ lengths back, while
Red Star Samper, who was part of a 3-5 favored, two-horse
entry, came late for third.
Rowdy B Doud had
only won about $6,000 in six career starts before
surprising in the last elimination leg. Now with the
back-to-back triumphs for owner Gerald Poloway of White
Rock, the colt has improved his sophomore mark to 3-2-0 in
eight starts for earnings of $63,767.
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