Four-year-olds star in Century stakes action

Top Western Canadian harness racing four-year-olds battled in eliminations for the Bev Sears Memorial and Ed Tracey Memorial on Saturday (Apr. 29) at Century Downs.

Grey Sea (Custard The Dragon) circled the five-horse field to take the first Bev Seras Memorial elimination for four-year-old mares. The grey, coming off a stakes win at Fraser, won going away in 1:56.2 after taking over at the half. She was four-and-a-quarter lengths clear of Dialmeup (David Kelly). Suellen Hanover (Phil Giesbrecht), Lets Go To Vegas (Tyler Redwood), and Lost In The Moment (Michael Hennessy) were third, fourth, and fifth, respectively.

GREY SEA REPLAY

Grey Sea is now eight-for-11 lifetime with three seconds. The mare won by the same margin last out in a $25,000 stakes contest at Fraser Downs. She moved to the Nathan Sobey barn when moving to Alberta from British Columbia to race at Century. Seaspray Stables of Nanaimo owns and bred the mare, who has now earned $37,330.

Brandon Campbell notched the first win of a stakes elim triple with Cozey Up (Mystery Chase) in the second Bev Sears Memorial elimination. The mare vaulted past Outlaw What If CC down the lane, crossing the line two-and-a-quarter-lengths clear in 1:55. Outlaw What If CC was second-best. Rison Star (Redwood) finished third despite a tough trip. Outlawkissmyclass (Jean Francois Gagne) was fourth with Eyes On The Prize (Kelly) just behind.

COZEY UP REPLAY

It was Cozey Up’s second win of the season – her first was among conditioned company in March. The mare is five-for-39 lifetime and has amassed an account totaling $39,008. Shelly Arsenault trains the mare and co-owns her with Jason and Tracy Peters of Strathmore. The 1:55 time is a new career best for Cozey Up.

Campbell and Kill A Dragon (Custard The Dragon) then crushed their opponents with and 11-and-a-quarter-length romp the first Ed Tracey Memorial division. The stallion took over in the third quarter and tore away to the dominant victory.

Grampian Road (Hennessy) was just ahead of Herd Immunity (Phil Giesbrecht) in third. Light My Shadow (Jamie Gray) was further back in fourth, a length ahead of Juliogetthestretch (Kelly).

KILL A DRAGON REPLAY

Kill A Dragon has won three of his past four starts. Campbell also trains the stallion, an eight-time winner in 28 career attempts. Kill A Dragon has earned $50,770 for owners Jodi Loftus and George Rogers of Calgary and Dana Shore of St. Albert.

Outlawchippendale (Santanna Blue Chip) gave Campbell his triple by staving off Kioti (Hennessy) by a neck to win in the second Ed Tracey Memorial group in 1:54.2, the quickest time of any elimination. Blast Of Sunshine got back on stride after a final-quarter break and finished third. Came A Cavalier (Logan Gillis) beat out Order One To Go (Gray) for fourth.

OUTLAWCHIPPENDALE REPLAY

Outlawchippendale got off the mark for the year with the win. The gelding was previously on a goose egg through three tries. Campbell conditions him for Loftus, Rogers, and Raymond Henry, another Calgary resident. The gelding is eight-for-18 lifetime with $32,482 in earnings.

Armycaptin Hanover (Captaintreacherous, Sobey, 1:52.4) captured the day’s Preferred Pace. The Kelly Hoerdt-trained seven-year-old collared Whiplash Smile (Thomas Michael Miller) from the pocket and won by a neck in 1:52.4. Ernetso Delacruz (Gagne) finished third. Armycaptin Hanover’s record is now 34 wins and $243,114 in earnings from 114 starts. Hoerdt co-owns the gelding with Blair Corbeil of Beaumont.

ARMYCAPTIN HANOVER REPLAY

Campbell won six of the 12 races on a day in which the track celebrated his 2,500th win.

The $30,000G finals of the Ed Tracey and Bev Sears Memorials will be held on Saturday, May 6 at Century Downs.

The track’s next card is set for Friday, May 5.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink