Three-year-old pacing fillies Contesta Hanover and G Ts Selene won back-to-back $12,500 eliminations for the Northlands Filly Pace on Friday night at Northlands Park.
The first elimination went to Contesta Hanover with a big move during the third panel for trainer/driver Keith Clark and partner Robert Jones of Slave Lake, Alta.
Favourite Emotions Run Wild (Kelly Hoerdt) led the field through opening fractions of :28.3 and 1:00.4 before Contesta Hanover was flushed first over from fourth and swept to command. The new leader reached three-quarters in 1:29.1 and held off a persistent Emotions Run Wild down the stretch to win by half a length in 1:58.2 over the frozen track. The runner-up's stablemate Skade (Brandon Campbell) finished third and Cenalta Fireworks (Rene Goulet) was fourth.
Contesta Hanover paid $10.20 to win as the 4-1 second choice. The Yankee Cruiser filly has now put together a 6-6-5 record in 34 seasonal starts to earn $40,801.
Alberta Super Final champion G Ts Selene went wire-to-wire to win the second elimination for driver Travis Cullen.
G Ts Selene and Cullen left from post five and carved out fractions of :27.4, :59.1 and 1:27.3 en route to the one and a half length triumph in 1:56.2 over the popular pocket-sitter Keep The Dream (Keith Clark). Barona Lilac (Kelly Hoerdt) came on for third while Crackers Hot Shot (Bill Tainsh Jr.) sixth-placed-fourth after a pair of driver's objections.
Sent postward as the 5-1 third choice in the field, G Ts Selene paid $12.10 to win. The homebred As Promised filly is owned by trainer Gerald, Marjorie and Terry McGinn, all of Stony Plain, Alta. She is now four-for-14 this year with earnings totalling $63,658.
Just prior to the eliminations, Fred Lamont's homebred Doober Hoozzitz and driver Paul Davies rallied three-wide from the backfield to upset the weekly $9,000 Fillies & Mares Open Pace in 1:56 flat and return $16.60 to their backers. Rod Starkewski trains the eight-year-old Raleigh Fingers mare, who equalled her lifetime mark that was taken across the country in Charlottetown this past June. Credit Card Junkie (Keith Clark) finished over two lengths behind off a pocket trip while pacesetter Just Saucy (Philip Giesbrecht) ended up third.
The $75,000 (guaranteed) final of the Northlands Filly Pace will take place next Friday, December 6.
Three-year-old pacing colts will face off eliminations for the Western Canada Pacing Derby on Saturday, November 30. The final is scheduled for Saturday, December 7.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Northlands Park.