While Century Downs hosted a total of seven eliminations for the Alberta Sire Stakes (ABSS) Diamond for sophomore fillies and Marksman for males, pacing gelding Shark Week stole the eyes on Saturday afternoon (May 27) with an evisceration of the Century Downs track record in a $14,000 Preferred Pace.
Assigned the outermost post in the field scratched to five, driver Mike Hennessy rolled Shark Week to lead and let the big guy go. The five-year-old son of Vertical Horizon carved a :26.3 first quarter and :54.3 half, through which Samba Beat made a futile first-over push out of fifth. The field raced on fumes while Shark Week kept charging to three-quarters in 1:22.2 and powered clear of his peers into the lane. Shark Week past the winning post 12-1/2 lengths in front of Armycaptin Hanover while Redstone Arsenal took third.
Shark Week stopped the clock in 1:50.1, which shed a full second off the all-age record he equalled as a stallion on Sept. 10 last year. Now a gelding, he beat Codename Cigar Box’s mark of 1:51.1 set back on July 16 of last year.
Rod Hennessy conditions and co-owns Shark Week with Lorne Duffield. The gelding won his 28th race from 62 starts and has now banked $257,475. He paid $2.60 to win.
The afternoon at Century Downs opened with three $8,300 eliminations for the ABSS Diamond, the fastest of which was seized in the third elimination by Caviar N Crackers.
Driver Phil Giesbrecht settled into third with Caviar N Crackers to a :27.1 first quarter set by even-money favourite Festiveus. Giesbrecht stayed put through a :56.3 half and through three-quarters in 1:25.4, where Promise Kept and Super Cozey tipped off the pegs to make a challenge on the pacesetter. But Giesbrecht waited until the stretch to give Caviar N Crackers racetrack and the daughter of Captive Audience catapulted by to score a three-quarter-length victory in 1:54.3. Festiveus finished second and Promise Kept took third.
Rod Starkewski owns and trains Caviar N Crackers, a four-time winner from 10 starts and an earner of $40,765. She paid $7.90 to win.
Beep Bop A Lula took the first ABSS Diamond elimination pillar to post in 1:56.1. Trainer-driver Dave Kelly cleared control with the daughter of Veritcal Horizon to a :28.4 first quarter and stole a breather to a :59.4 half. He accelerated with the filly to three-quarters in 1:27.4 and coasted home 1-1/2 lengths in front of pocket-sitter Cenalta Token to win with Handcuffed another 13 lengths behind in third. Kelly co-owns Beep Bop A Lula with Donald McDougall and Daniel McDougall. She paid $2.30 to win.
Trainer-driver Nate Sobey vaulted from the back with Shesimyinspiration to take the second ABSS Diamond elimination in 1:56.3. The daughter of Outrageous Art raced fifth while Miss Mooshine set a tempo of :28.1, :58.2 and 1:26.4 before coming under siege. Sobey circled Shesmyinspiration from the pegs to the center of the course to claim control at the top of the stretch and stroll home 1-1/4 lengths better than Riskofthunderstorm and with My Little Chloe also closing to take third. Sobey co-owns the winning filly with Keith Clark and John Hind. She paid $5.90 to win.
Virtual Horizon posted the fastest mile of the four $7,500 ABSS Marksman eliminations with a coast-to-coast 1:53.3 win.
Trainer-driver Brandon Campbell claimed control with Virtual Horizon to a :28.2 first quarter and faced little pressure from there. The Vertical Horizon colt rolled through a :57.2 half and to three-quarters in 1:25.1 before capping the mile with a :28.2 final quarter and winning by 2-1/4 lengths. Pocket-sitter Tin Can Timmy took second with Rum N Raisins giving chase in third.
Virtual Horizon races for owners Jodi Loftus, George Rogers and Raymond Henry. The colt won his seventh race from 11 starts and has now earned $108,138. He paid $2.90 to win.
Ponder No Longer pounced from the pocket to take the first ABSS Marksman elimination in 1:55.1. Driver Phil Giesbrecht perched the Smart Shark gelding behind pacesetter Opulent Dragon as that one cut splits of :27.3, :57 and 1:26.2. Ponder No Longer overpowered the leader through the stretch win by three-quarter lengths with Cenalta Duramax finishing another 11 lengths behind in third. Rod Starkewski trains and co-owns Ponder No Longer with Clauzette Byckal. He paid $20.50 to win.
Giesbrecht notched another victory with an 8-1/2 length romp by Mickie Mantle in the second ABSS Marksman elimination. The son of Custard The Dragon raced second while Yru So Sirius led through opening fractions of :27.4 and :57.3. Giesbrecht activated Mickie Mantle and motored to control past three-quarters in 1:25.2 and stormed home to leave Yru So Sirius chasing in the 1:54.4 mile while Smokn Joe closed from last to take third. Kelly Hoerdt trains and co-owns Mickie Mantle with Fred Gilbert. He paid $2.40 to win.
Catfish Jack appeared ready to romp his competition, but had his sizeable lead shrink while he still grabbed the 1:55.4 victory in the third ABSS Marskman elimination. Driver Logan Gillis circled the BJs Bequia colt to the point past a :27.2 first quarter and sped through a :56.3 half and three-quarters in 1:25.3 to open nine lengths on his rivals. The Kelly Crump trainee held a large-enough cushion into the stretch that closing Mister Moose could only muster second, beaten 2-1/4 lengths, with Five Star Dragon third. Stephen Crump owns Catfish Jack, who paid $2.80 to win.
To view Saturday’s harness racing results, click the following link: Saturday Results – Century Downs.