Hector Protector defeated seven other three-year-old colts and geldings, including three of his fellow Rick White entrymates, in Friday's $75,000 British Columbia Sires Stake during the final stakes-packed weekend of the meet at Fraser Downs
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Fresh off a pair of B.C. Stallion Stakes triumphs earlier on the card, driver Jim Marino sent 3-5 favourite Steve O, trained by Marjorie Dumont, to command from the inside post position during a :28.1 opening quarter while entrymates Gotta Have Nukes (Rick White), Thieving Magpie (Scott Knight) and the Glenn White-driven Hector Protector lined up in second through fourth.
Steve O led the field to the half in :58.1, at which point Thieving Magpie launched a first over attack. Steve O maintained his lead past the three-quarters mark of 1:25.3 and into the stretch, but couldn't hold off a pair of the entrymates and was forced to settle for third. Gotta Have Nukes pulled the pocket and edged by the pacesetter before the late-rallying Hector Protector surged ahead in the final strides for the 1:54.3 triumph (:28.2 final frame). The time of the mile lowered his lifetime mark by four-fifths of a second. Thieving Magpie finish fourth while the other White stablemate, Austinlavistababy (Tim Brown), finished eighth after breaking stride.
Rebounding after a break of his own in the Wendell Smith Memorial, Hector Protector paid $5.50 to win as part of the 8-5 second choice grouping. The lightly raced Usher Hanover-Raging Granny gelding is owned and bred by David and Freda Woolley of Langley, B.C. After winning his first of five freshman starts, Hector Protector has won three of his seven sophomore races, including an elimination of the Wendell Smith Memorial. The lion's share of the stakes purse boosted his career earnings to $51,437.
Marino, trainer Ty O'Neill and owner J J J Stables of Aldergrove, B.C. swept both $25,000 B.C. Stallion Stakes for four-year-olds at the start of the 12-race card. The stake triumphs were part of a three-win streak for Marino.
Marino opened the card with a 14-plus length victory aboard even-money favourite Limit The Risk in the stake final for male pacers. The brown gelding left from the outside post position in the short four-horse field and cruised past panels of :27.1, :55.4, and 1:24 en route to the dominant score in a career-best 1:53.3. Stepuptotheplate (Gord Abbott) won the race for place while Remain Silent (David Hudon) defeated Tahuya Billi Rae (J.F. Gagne) for third-place honours.
The homebred son of Kents On Nuke out of Winstar Seelster, who was a runner-up in last year's B.C. Stallion Stake behind Stepuptotheplate, reversed the roles this season to earn his seventh career win and push his bankroll to $84,496. Limit The Risk paid $4 to win.
The winning connections were also victorious in the mares stake with Millbanks Ariel after Marino made a quarter pole move with the Usher Hanover-Millbanks Award miss. Millbanks Ariel advanced from third to first past the :27.2 opening quarter and carved out middle splits of :56.4 and 1:25.3 before holding off Oil Town Emelia (Scott Knight) by half a length at the wire in 1:55.3. Early leader Tahuya Sonia (J.F. Gagne) finished over two lengths behind in third.
J J J Stables claimed Millbanks Ariel for $9,000 on March 25. She has won eight races lifetime and $57,803 in purses. The 3-5 favourite paid $3.30 to win.
In regular racing action, Jans Rich Girl captured the final $12,500 Fillies & Mares Open Pace of the meet in a career-best 1:53.1 for trainer-driver Scott Knight and the Sunbury Stables of Aldergrove. The seven-year-old Camluck-Rich Jan homebred fired to the lead from post seven, but settled for a pocket trip behind favourite Village Janus (Rod Therres), who was parked out early on, and then sprinted up the passing lane to score by three-quarters of a length. Rossridge Fortune (James Burke) advanced first over to show, two lengths behind. Jans Rich Girl paid $10.70 to win as the 4-1 second choice.
Also on the card, 11-year-old pacer Rehearsal Hall extended his meet-ending win streak to five in a $4,500 claiming event. He recorded his 46th career win by two and a half lengths in 1:54.2, matching his season's mark. The Cambest-Raetta Hanover gelding is trained by Marjorie Dumont and owned by driver J.F. Gagne, Peter R. Van Seggelen of De Winton, Alta. and Carl Warnaar of Kelowna, B.C. The 1-2 favourite paid $2.90 to win.
Fraser Downs' meet will wrap up tomorrow night with another 12-race card featuring the $75,000 BCSS for three-year-old filly pacers. Post time is 7:15 p.m. (PDT).
To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Fraser Downs.