There is more harness racing stake action this upcoming weekend at Century Downs. The finals for the next leg of the Alberta Sire Stakes are on the eleven-race card.
Race 8: ABSS MARQUIS THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLIES FINAL – $56,600
- NONVERSATION (12-1)
- CAVIAR N CRACKERSĀ (4-1)
- BEEP BOP A LULA (3-1)
- WAITINONAWOMAN (15-1)
- BEACH MYST (6-1)
- CENALTA TOKEN (20-1)
- G TS SKYLA (6-5)
- CORA CORA CORA (8-1)
- RISKOFTHUNDERSTORM (10-1)
AE.Ā YOU PROMYST
G Ts Skyla (Mystician) looks to continue her nearly perfect season and comes into the ABSS Marquis Final. She has won four of her five starts this year, while her one blemish was a second-place finish in the Shirley McClellan Breeders’ Stake elimination. G Ts Skyla won the elimination for the ABSS Marquis in 1:55, which is two-fifths of a second off her lifetime mark. Scott McGinn trains the three-year-old filly, and Logan Gillis has been in the bike as of late.
The fastest elimination winner was Beep Bop A Lula (Vertical Horizon), and she paced the mile in 1:54.4. That mile time is now her lifetime mark, and she beat out her previous by a second and two-fifths. The win is her third of the year and fourth lifetime. The David Kelly trained filly finished second in the ABSS Diamond Finals and will look to continue her high level of form in the next leg.
My third selection in the ABSS Marquis Finals is Caviar N Crackers (Captive Audience). She finished second in the elimination behind Beep Bop A Lula. The Rodney Starkewski-trained filly has only one win to her credit in 2023. Her lone win came back in May when she won the ABSS Diamond elimination in 1:54.3. That mile time is her lifetime mark, and she has consistently posted similar times. She has finished in the top three six times in her nine starts this year.
Trey’s Picks: 7-3-2
Race 10: ABSS MAVERICK THREE-YEAR-OLD COLTS AND GELDINGS FINAL – $59,000
- OVER THE HORIZON (8-1)
- IMYOURHUCKLEBERRY (4-1)
- GENERAL CUSTARD (6-1)
- VIRTUAL HORIZON (4-5)
- CATFISH JACK (10-1)
- PONDER NO LONGER (12-1)
- BLUE STAR MERCURY (10-1)
- MICKIE MANTLE (7-2)
- HF DEVAN JAMES (20-1)
AE RUM N RAISINS
It is hard to bet against Virtual Horizon (Vertical Horizon), which is a perfect eight for eight in 2023. He earned over $100,000 this year and posted a new lifetime mark of 1:53.2 in the elimination. He is approaching the $200,000-lifetime earnings mark and will likely hit that milestone on Saturday.
Imyourhuckleberry (Westwardho Hanover) won his elimination in 1:55.4 and seemed to be hitting his stride again after several unfortunate finishes. He had a three-race win streak earlier this year but followed that up with a fourth and eighth-place finish. Imyourhuckleberry could not make the ABSS Marksman final and will look to capitalize on this opportunity.
I’ll tip my cap to Mickie Mantle (Custard The Dragon) to round out my top three. The Kelly Hoerdt-trained colt won his elimination in 1:54.0, now his new lifetime mark. Mickie Mantle has seven-lifetime wins, two of which came this year. He has earned over $122,000 over his 13-lifetime starts and will likely add to it on Saturday.
Trey’s Picks: 4-2-8
Century Downs will also hold eliminations for the first two-year-old stakes of the year. Two Emerald Filly Pace divisions and another two Norm Kennedy Memorial divisions are on the card. It is also Women in Racing Day at the track to celebrate the accomplishments of women in the sport. The post time is 1:15 p.m. MDT.
For complete Saturday race entries, click here.
by Trey Colbeck, for Harnesslink