A break couldn’t stop Burning Hot

Burning Hot broke stride while blazing into the final quarter, but the filly returned to the trot and finished her flight to the front and won the Gord and Illa Rumpel Memorial first harness racing elimination on Sunday at Century Downs.

Philip Giesbrecht pushed Burning Hot from the second tier into fifth on the inside in a :27.3 opening quarter mile. Giesbrecht swung the mare second-over as Crush Me (David Kelly) created an eight-length gap to the field while approaching the half in :57.1.

The leader hit the wall in the third panel, and Burning Hot eliminated her lead and struck the front at three-quarters in 1:25.3. Burning Hot began galloping as the field entered the far turn, and Outlaw Sharktastic (Kelly Hoerdt) inherited the top spot. Giesbrecht steered his horse back onto the pace after losing more than two lengths, and Burning Hot surged again. She passed the two foes she dropped behind and glided to a 1:55.4 victory.

Outlaw Sharktastic finished second after a first-over advance. Sent By Angels (Brandon Campbell) was third.

BURNING HOT REPLAY

Burning Hot, a daughter of Blue Burner, has now won eight of 14 career starts and has earned $89,122. Rodney Starkewski of Lamont trains, bred, and co-owns the filly with Clauzette Byckal of Onoway.

Graceful Horizon, a Christopher Lancaster trainee, battled back after losing the lead at three-quarters and took the second elimination of the Gord and Illa Rumpel Memorial, a contest for three-year-old fillies. Graceful Horizon was clocked in 1:53.3 for that victory, the Vertical Horizon filly’s sixth lifetime in nine attempts. She has earned $49,062 for owners Derek Gilbert of Brandon, Velda Olding of Abbotsford, and Lancaster, a resident of Airdrie.

GRACEFUL HORIZON REPLAY

The top four finishers from the eliminations and one fifth-place finisher will contest the $110,000E final of the Gord and Illa Rumpel Memorial.

Lucas Mccain led all the way in the first elimination of the Ralph Klein Memorial for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings. It was the colt’s sixth win in 12 career starts, and it boosted his earnings to $19,616. John and Lesley Vukelich of North Saanich own the horse. John drives and trains Lucas Mccain, a son of Malicious.

LUCAS MCCAIN REPLAY

Codename Cigar Box kicked off cover and outsprinted his rivals to take the second elimination. Co-owner Kelly Hoerdt conditions and pilots the three-year-old Custard The Dragon colt that is five-for-14 lifetime with $43,069 in earnings. Fred Gilbert of Brandon and Blair Corbeil of Beaumont also hold shares in the horse.

CODENAME CIGAR BOX REPLAY

The four highest-placed horses from each elimination plus one fifth-place finisher will advance to the $110,000 Ralph Klein Memorial final.

Century Downs will host racing next on Tuesday, Jul. 27 with an 11-race card beginning at 2:15 p.m. MDT.

For full race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink