56-1 upset rocks Century Downs

Century Downs held an 11-dash harness racing card on Friday (Aug. 2) and the biggest surprise of the day was the 56-1 upset in the ninth race.

An early third-wide battle for the front brewed as Jamaica Move (Nathan Sobey) used the inside path to her advantage. Outlaw Spiced Rum (Jamie Gray) was caught two wide while Over Ice (Brandon Campbell) was triple-stacked as the field hit the first turn. It wasn’t until the field of nine was well straightened down the stretch before everyone could get to the inside. 

With opening fractions of 27.4 and 57.3 Jamaica Move looked to have the race finally in hand for the time being.  However, the longshot Gotta Wear Shades (Custard The Dragon) got bored and made her move before the leader hit the final turn. Gotta Wear Shades had full control of the race before hitting the three-quarter mark in 1:26.1. The five-year-old mare went untouched for the remainder of the race and hit the line in 1:55.

Senga Nightmare (Ryan Grundy) rallied late for second and Byby Baby Byby (Michael Hennessy) surged late for third.

GOTTA WEAR SHADES REPLAY

This is Gotta Wears Shades’ first win since Oct. 31, 2022, and she did so in the fourth leg of the BC-Bred Mary Murphy Stakes. John Vukelich trains her and often handles driving duties, but he handed them off to Robert Scrannage on Friday.

Brandon Campbell also scored a driving grand slam on the card. He won the first three races of the day. He kicked things off with Agricola (Domitian Hanover) in the first with a wire-to-wire effort. He also trains the six-year-old gelding and steered him to a new lifetime mark of 1:54.2. Next, Campbell teamed up with the five-year-old Santanna Blue Chip pacer, Sammy Santanna.  The pacer picked up his second win in his last three starts and this third of the year. The Brandon Campbell early Daily Double paid $37.70 based on a $2 wager. 

Ima Fist Fight (Betterthancheddar) made it three straight for Campbell with another wire-to-wire effort. This time the mile was in 1:57.1 and it also secured a new lifetime best for the sophomore filly. It’s Ima Fist Fight’s first win of the year and second of her career. It wasn’t until race ten that Campbell got back into the winner’s circle and this time it was with the eight-year-old mare, Electric Amadeus (Rockin Amadeus). She picked up her third win in a row and the time of 1:54.2 is her best of the year.

For complete race results, click here.

Racing resumes at Century Downs tomorrow at 3:45 p.m. EDT. The card features three divisions of the ABSS Starlet and two divisions of the ABSS Rising Star. Also, eliminations for the Ralph Klein Memorial will take place.

For a preview of tomorrow’s card, click here.

by Trey Colbeck, for Harnesslink