Three-year-old pacing fillies Cam Finish and Thats Extra will headline next weekend's Northlands Filly Pace after earning victories in their respective $10,000 eliminations on Saturday (Nov. 28) at Northlands Park.
Cam Finish prevailed off a perfect pocket trip in the first elimination for trainer/driver Keith Clark, with True Rock (Gerry Hudon), Wrapped To Go (Jim Marino) and Take On Da Boys (Rod Hennessy) finishing three-across three and a half lengths behind in a photo for place. The top four finishers in each elimination will advance to the final.
Miss Hoozzitz crossed over in front of Cam Finish off the gate and led the field, which was scratched down to seven starters, in single-file alignment through a :28.4 opening panel and a second quarter breather to the half in :59.4. Cam Finish then retook the lead on the way to three-quarters in 1:28 and cruised home in a 1:57.1 career-best effort.
Cam Finish notched her fourth win from 19 starts and now has over $55,000 in earnings this year. The daughter of Camystic is owned by Calgary's John Hind and Verne Rea.
Sent postward at odds of 7-1, Cam Finish paid $17.20 to win. Even-money favourite Watch My Luck (J.F. Gagne), the B.C. Breeders Stakes champion, finished fifth in her first career loss.
In the second elimination, favourite Thats Extra delivered on her 4-5 pari-mutuel promise as she swept to the lead in front of the grandstand and never looked back with trainer/driver Kelly Hoerdt in tow. Remember Terror (Bill Tainsh Jr.), Blue Star Texas (Keith Clark, and My Villas On Fire (Philip Giesbrecht) earned the remaining spots in the final with the winner's stablemate, Hot Time (Gerry Hudon), just missing out as those four spread across the track at the wire.
My Villas On Fire was the early leader, but Blue Star Texas leap-frogged around her to take over during the :29.4 first quarter. Hoerdt then made his move with Thats Extra and she swept to the top from third-place and opened up two lengths en route to the half in :58.2. Thats Extra proceeded to lead the field past three-quarters in 1:26.4 and down the stretch leaving his competitors in a race for place. Thats Extra won by three lengths in 1:56.4, just two-fifths of a second off her lifetime mark.
Thats Extra has won now eight of her 22 starts and nearly $60,000 in purses this year for Hoerdt and co-owners Blair and Erna Corbeil of Beaumont, Alta.
The Allamerican Native filly paid $3.60 to win.
The $70,000 final of the Northlands Filly Pace will be contested next Saturday, Dec. 5, along with companion colt race, the $90,000 Western Canada Pacing Derby, which did not require eliminations.
In between the eliminations, in a race won by 2014 Western Canada Pacing Derby champion Outlaw Gunpowder (Ron Cullen), driver Philip Giesbretch was unseated during an incident entering the backstretch in which his mount, Revoler, appeared to hook up with Silent Rescue (Gary Clark). Giesbretch did resume his driving duties for the remainder of the card. Meanwhile, Outlaw Gunpowder, recently claimed by the Travis Cullen stable, collared pacesetter Justabitcrazy (Ryan Grundy) in deep stretch for the 1:55.4 victory. Third-place finisher Gotta Dream Big (Keith Clark) was also involved in an inquiry when he caused interference to Cowboy Caper (Tyler Redwood) at the third quarter mark and was placed seventh.
Get Thereovernight dominated the $11,500 Open Pace, with a commanding lead over his rivals through fractions of :28.2, :57.3 and 1:25.3 en route to the 1:54 triumph. It was five lengths back to Daddy Warbucks (Travis Cullen) in second-place while Premium Attaction (Gerry Hudon) rounded out the top three finishes. Get Thereovernight returned $4.70 to win as the 6-5 favourite. Bill Tainsh Jr. drove the four-year-old Clintons Cigar gelding for trainer Hoerdt and co-owners Blair Corbeil and Edmonton's Peter Giannakopoulos.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Northlands Park.