Three-year-old pacing colt Outlaw Gunpowder and driver Philip Giesbrecht were victorious in the $95,000 Western Canada Pacing Derby, Alberta's richest harness race of the season, on Saturday night at Northlands Park.
The Smart Shark-Fox Valley Cherish colt is owned by Blair Corbeil of Beaumont, Alberta and trainer Kelly Hoerdt.
Outlaw Gunpowder left well from post four with Sotally Tober (Jamie Gray) also leaving just to his outside and persistent on taking the lead before the quarter was reached in :27.2.
Sotally Tober raced on to the half in :56.1 with 3-2 favourite Ghost Pine (Gerry Hudon) advancing out from third and then dropping into the two-hole ahead of his stablemate, who then went on the attack approaching three-quarters in 1:25 and edged ahead at the top of the stretch.
Outlaw Gunpowder drew clear of Sotally Tober down the lane and then held off the late-closing Comes Home First (Jim Marino) by half a length for the 1:54.4 triumph. Blue Eyed Cowboy (Bill Tainsh Jr.) came on for third over Sotally Tober, with Ghost Pine finishing fifth.
"Going to the gate I figured I had to be up close and I thought Sotally Tober would be the pacesetter," said Giesbrecht. "But it worked out really good, Gerry took a little run at him and I said 'I gotta go now' and we just kind of wore him down. He fought every inch of that racetrack all the way down the lane."
Hoerdt, who would normally drive his own horses, was unable to compete in the race while still recovering from a racing injury sustained earlier in the year.
"Actually, I would have been driving the other one [Ghost Pine] if I had been healthy. Phil has got along real well with this colt," said Hoerdt. "The four or five times that he's driven him, it worked out to be a really good match up. I don't think I could have done it better myself...well, not much better. All the credit goes to my staff for getting the horse ready, Amy Henry, and Phil for getting the job done for us."
Outlaw Gunpowder notched his sixth win in 19 starts this year and doubled his sophomore earnings, which now stand at $94,522.
"I got him a little later in the year -- I bought him privately," explained Hoerdt. "He really didn't start coming around until just the last three or four months, which has worked out to be good timing."
Outlaw Gunpowder paid $7.30 to win as the 5-2 second choice in the seven-horse field.
The undercard featured a pair of $12,500 eliminations for the companion filly event, the Northlands Filly Pace, which will be contested next Saturday, Dec. 13. The top four finishers in each elimination will move on to the $75,000 final.
Tajmeallover ($16) scored her first career victory in an eventful first elimination with a 1:57.4 score over Smilys Amira, Philly Collins and G Ts Jamie. J.F. Gagne was the winning driver and co-owner.
Shark Festival (Keith Clark) left from the outside post seven, but made a break in stride while trying to take the top spot. Insider Philly Collins (Jim Marino) maintained the lead through a :29-second opening panel before Eliseuinthedust (Jamie Gray) leap-frogged around her as they headed towards the half, which was clocked in :59.2. Smilys Amira (Tyler Redwood) was next to move, making a backstretch brush from third to take over command and opening up a quick two-length lead by the 1:28 third quarter mark. Meanwhile, Tajmeallover followed her cover and ducked into the two-hole then pulled back out down the stretch to track down Smilys Amira for the two-length victory in 1:57.4.
Marjorie Dumont trains the homebred Tajma Hall-Watch Over Me filly, who was making just her third career start, for owners Gagne, Peter Van Seggelen, Carl Warnaar and Joe Tinelli.
Once Rummys Command ($13.50) made the lead, she drew off to an open length victory in the second elimination for trainer/driver Keith Clark and co-owner Robert Jones.
Favourite Wrangler Rockette (Gerry Hudon) cleared insider Charismatic Art (J.F. Gagne) from post two off the gate with Rummys Command parked and pressing through a :27.1 first quarter. Rummys Command cleared to command in front of the grandstand and continued to lead past the half in :56.1. Down the backstretch, Charismatic Art moved first up, but Rummys Command was out to a two and a half length lead by three-quarters in 1:25.4 with her leading margin continuing to grow as she turned for home. Rummys Command was victorious in 1:57.2 by nearly four lengths with Book My Flite (Travis Cullen) winning the race for the runner-up honours over Charismatic Art. Nighttraintovegas (Brandon Campbell) closed from the back to nab the remaining spot in the final.
The Cams Card Shark-Streisands Place filly earned her third win in 20 starts this year and fifth of her career to push her bankroll to $43,726.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Northlands Park.