Dealers Edge was a decisive winner in the $25,000 Mr Vancouver Final on Friday night at Fraser Downs as he romped to a seven and three-quarter length score in a career-best 1:54 for his new connections.
Sent postward as the 4-5 second choice in the evening's feature race, post five starter Dealers Edge and trainer-driver Scott Knight overtook insiders Bobbysslackkeystar and Michael Munoz at the :27.3 first quarter mark and began to open up on his foes. Dealers Edge raced to the half in :56.3 and three-quarters in 1:24.3 while extending his leading margin to six lengths. He was all alone on top turning for home and cruised to victory, besting his lifetime mark by one-fifth of a second.
Favourite Gotta Have Nukes and Rick White finished second while I Hear Voices and Jim Marino rounded out the top three finishers. Gotta Have Nukes' entrymate, Austinlavistababy, driven by Brad Watt, was fourth with Bobbysslackkeystar fifth.
The four-year-old son of Cams Card Shark, who paid $4.60 to win, provided Knight with his second Mr Vancouver victory in three years. He last won the event with 17-1 upsetter Spartan Law in 2011.
Owner Robert Collier of Victoria, B.C. claimed Dealers Edge for $11,250 on Jan. 11. The bay pacer now boasts a 2-1-1 record in five seasonal starts with his eighth career win pushing his lifetime bankroll to nearly $65,000.
Knight and Collier also clicked with another new acquisition during Friday's card. Thieving Magpie wore down the pacesetting Cody Cobraski, driven by James Burke, down the stretch in the $7,500 first leg division of the Spartacus Claiming Series to score in 1:55.4. Classic Ambition and Ed Hensley closed well for second, finishing half a length behind, while favourite Western Nitro and David McKellar were third.
Collier claimed the four-year-old Usher Hanover gelding from the Abbetross A Claiming Series Final on Jan. 18 for $6,875.
Thieving Magpie, a close runner-up to Classic Ambition in his $9,000 claiming assignment last week for his new connections, returned $15 to his backers for his second win of the season.
Earlier on the card, Prairie Illusion converted off a perfect pocket trip to win her first Fillies & Mares Open Pace for trainer, driver and co-owner Keith Clark. The four-year-old daughter of Mach Three followed favourite Jans Rich Girl and McKellar through fractions of :28.2, :58 and 1:26 before scooting up the passing lane to win the $12,500 event by over one length in 1:55.1.
Prairie Illusion, runner-up in last year's Northlands Filly Pace and undefeated in three starts during her aged campaign, paid $7 to win as the 5-2 third choice. Jans Rich Girl settled for second while Village Janus and Serge Masse edged out the Tim Brown-driven River Lass in a photo for show.
Clark co-owns the 12-time winner with Robert Jones of Slave Lake and Doris McDougall of Cochrane, Alta.
Live racing resumes on Sunday afternoon at 12:45 p.m. The 11-race card features the $25,000 final of the Miss Valentine in race seven. The BBs Mirage Claiming Series also gets underway on Sunday in race four.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Fraser Downs.