A look at the Century Downs stakes weekend

The harness racing stake season kicks off this Saturday (April 29) in Alberta, Canada. Century Downs will host two eliminations for the Bev Sears Memorial for four-year-old mares and the Ed Tracey Memorial for four-year-old colts and geldings. Each of the four dashes will go for $7,500, and the pacers will be battling for a chance for next weekend’s finals. Each stake race is open to non-winners of $30,000 lifetime before December 1st, 2022.

Race 2, Bev Sears Memorial Four-Year-Old Mares First Elimination:

A field of five pacing mares draw into the first elimination. Grey Sea (Custard The Dragon) draws the outside post position and enters the race as the morning line favourite. Grey Sea has been terrorizing Fraser Downs during the first few months of the year. She has seven wins and three second-place finishes in her ten-lifetime starts. She has been dominating the west coast and now moves east to try her luck in Alberta. As her racing career continues, Grey Sea will now team up with Nathan Sobey.

Lost In The Moment (Vertical Horizon) comes in with 4-1 morning line odds. She has had a poor start to 2023. Lost In The Moment has made five starts this year and hasn’t finished better than fifth. She recently has wound up with a new owner and trainer, which could give her a new sense of life. Travis Ellis is now her trainer, and she will have Michael Hennessy will be in the sulky.

Suellen Hanover (Bettors Delight) rounds the morning line top three at 6-1 odds. The Phillip Giesbrecht-trained mare comes into the elimination with only a win this year.

Race 3, Bev Sears Memorial Four-Year-Old Mares Second Elimination:

Outlawkissmyclass (Vertical Horizon) has earned 2-1 morning line odds and will line up in the fourth post position. Unfortunately, she has already visited the winner’s circle twice in 2023, and Jean Francois Gagne will be in the sulky to attempt to get her third win on Saturday.

Rison Star (Vertical Horizon) earned her first win of the year her last time out. She paced the mile in 1:57.0 and will fight for a good spot with Tyler Redwood at the helm. She comes in at 4-1 morning line odds, but she did draw the outside sixth post position.

Cozey Up (Mystery Chase) should be circled on your program because she gets the inside post and will have Brandon Campbell in the sulky. She hasn’t been breaking any time records this year, but she is capable of a mile of 1:55.3. She achieved that lifetime mark last year with Campbell steering her around the five-eighths of a mile oval at Century Downs.

Race 5, Ed Tracey Memorial Four-Year-Old Colts & Geldings First Elimination:

Kill A Dragon (Custard The Dragon) comes into the race as a decisive favourite at 6-5 morning line odds. He has not finished worse than second place in his six starts this year. Kill A Dragon achieved a new lifetime mark of 1:55.2 earlier this year and could be looking to do it again. Brandon Campbell trains and will drive his entry on Saturday. The tandem draws post position three and will look to take the front end like they often do.

Juliogetthestretch (Vintage Master) will be making his first start at Century Downs this year in this race. He has been racing at Fraser Downs and now moves eastward to Alberta. He was recently claimed and now comes into the elimination at 5-2 morning line odds. Will a new owner and trainer be enough to get this pacer into the winner’s circle?

Coming in at morning line odds of 4-1 is Grampian Road (Vertical Horizon). He is shy of earning $10,000 this year and only has one win on his 2023 record. He has not shown much lately, but fans will see what Michael Hennessy can do with him on Saturday.

Race 6, Ed Tracey Memorial Four-Year-Old Colts & Geldings First Elimination:

Blast Of Sunshine (Sunshine Beach) is sitting at even money, and rightfully so. He has four wins in five starts this year and has not finished worse than second place. He never had a win before coming into 2023, but he seems to have found his groove. Philip Giesbrecht will be in the sulky with the Gerry Hudon entry come Saturday afternoon.

One entry that may give Blast Of Sunshine trouble is Kioti (Mystician). He made his racing debut this year and has been racing in Sacramento at Cal Expo. In nine starts, he has four wins and has never finished worse than third place. He will have Michael Hennessy aboard for his first race in Canada, and it also could be his first win north of the border.

Century Downs will have 12 dashes on Saturday starting at 1:15 p.m. MDT. This is the first weekend Century Downs hosts two live racing cards. They also have a card beginning Friday at 5:15 p.m. MDT.

by Trey Colbeck, for Harnesslink