Campbell – Marino combo sweeps $50,000 Fraser stakes

Harness racing driver Brandon Campbell and trainer Jim Marino teamed up to capture the $50,000 Penny Bath Memorial and $50,000 Keith Linton Memorial on closing day at Fraser Downs on Friday (May 5).

Side Piece (Shadow Play) dominated the Penny Bath Memorial. The filly went wire-to-wire with splits of :27.3, :57.4, and 1:25.4, fighting off Custard Or Nothing (Rod Therres) and cruising to a two-and-three-quarter-length victory in 1:54.2. Stonebridge Jade (Allan Molloy) was a clear second-best. Custard Or Nothing finished third.

SIDE PIECE REPLAY

It was the second win in two starts this season from Side Piece, who went off at 1/5. The filly made six starts at two and won the Betty Millbank Memorial Final. J J J Stables of Prince George, which bred her, co-owns the three-year-old with Marino. The filly’s Friday win ticked her career earnings over to $103,100 and improved her record to six-for-eight.

Domi (Living It Up) captured the Keith Linton Memorial convincingly. The gelding surged to the lead in the third quarter after sitting third through :26.1 and :55.4 first-half fractions. He raced through three-quarters in 1:24.3 and rushed home to score by three lengths in 1:53.3. Mickie Mantle (Dave Hudon) finished second. Handsome Dan (Molloy) closed for third.

DOMI REPLAY

J J J Stables and Marino co-own Domi with Paul Sanders of Surrey. The gelding has six wins in 16 lifetime tries and has earned $65,905.

Campbell also won three early races on the card for five overall in a fitting end to a dominant season. Campbell won 92 races in 216 starts, more than doubling the second-placed Kelly Hoerdt. Marino’s closing day double moved him to equal with Hoerdt in the trainers’ standings – both finished the meet with 46 wins.

Fraser Downs will now go dark until Thursday, Sep. 14.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink