ABSS Diamond & Marksman elimination preview

If the smoky air can clear, harness racing will continue at Century Downs on Saturday afternoon. Twelve dashes are on tap, and several are eliminations for the upcoming ABSSDiamond and ABSS Marksman finals. Here are the fields and a quick rundown of what horses to watch.

Race 1: ABSS ALBERTA DIAMOND THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLIES FIRST ELIMINATION – $8,300 

WAITINONAWOMAN (6-1)
HANDCUFFED (8-1)
G TS SKYLA (5-2)
WESTCOAST CAPTIVE (10-1)
CENALTA TOKEN (12-1)
BEEP BOP A LULA (2-1)
DIVA AMOUR (4-1)

G Ts Skyla (Mystician) and will have Brandon Campbell in the sulky. She has only made one previous start this year and won while pacing the mile in 1:57.2. G TS Skyla has had an excellent start to her racing career. She has won three times in five lifetimes and only has one finish outside the top two. She finished an uncharacteristic eighth place in last fall’s ABSS Super Finals. However, she was a vet scratch due to being lame on her next scheduled start after the Super Finals. Whatever that issue was has now worked itself out, and she will likely be one of the favourites at post-time.

The morning line odd favourite, Beep Bop A Lula (Vertical Horizon), comes into the race at 2-1 odds but does draw near the outside. The David Kelly-trained filly has yet to win in 2023 and only has one lifetime win on her resume. However, she finished second her last time out and paced that mile in 1:56.3 and last quarter mile time of 27.3, which is likely why she has earned top recognition with the morning line odds. She has a good chance in this one but will have tough competition.

It could be wide open for third place, but I will stick with the chalk to start the day. The Kelly Hoerdt-trained Diva Amour (Custard The Dragon) will have Philip Giesbrecht in the bike. As a three-year-old, she started racing this year and has only one win to her credit. However, she paced 1:56.4 in the winning effort a couple of weeks ago and will have an excellent chance to duplicate that time on Saturday.

Trey’s Picks: 3-6-7

Race 2: ABSS ALBERTA DIAMOND THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLIES SECOND ELIMINATION – $8,300

SHES A TINKER (12-1)
NONVERSATION (10-1)
MISS MOONSHINE (8-1)
DEAR JOHN IM GONE (6-1)
MY LITTLE CHLOE (5-2)
SHESMYINSPIRATION (4-1)
RISKOFTHUNDERSTORM (2-1)

My Little Chloe (Lambretta) is my top choice in the second elimination. Cory and Deanna Manning from Manitoba bred the filly. She won her racing debut in 1:58.0 and followed that up with a second-place finish just behind G Ts Skyla. My Little Chloe might be a bit green, but she has done well to this point.

I have a good feeling about Shesmyinspiration (Outrageous Art). She is one of the more race-tested fillies in the second elimination, and she already has two wins to her credit. She started her 2023 year with a win which she paced in 1:54.2. She has yet to replicate that, but she might be able to this time with the elevated talent around her. She will have her trainer, Nathan Sobey, in the sulky on Saturday.

Riskofthunderstorm (Captive Audience) is another David Kelly entry, and she also earned morning line odd favourite status like her stablemate, Beep Bop A Lula. She has finished third in both of her lifetime starts, and she does have the late speed to finish strong once again.

Trey’s Picks: 5-6-7

Race 3: ABSS ALBERTA DIAMOND THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLIES THIRD ELIMINATION – $8,300

CAVIAR N CRACKERS (6-1)
SUPER COZEY (12-1)
PROMISE KEPT (2-1)
HF APRILS KISS (20-1)
MISSIONIZED (10-1)
OUTLAW ENCORE (4-1)
FESTIVEUS (5-2)
AMPED UP ANNIE (8-1)

Promise Kept (Custard The Dragon) will make her second start of the year in the third elimination. She finished third her last time out and paced the mile in 1:55.4. She was one of the top two-year-old fillies last year and will be looking to regain that form. Promise Kept has only made $77,776 in earnings and has four wins. Her lifetime mark is 1:57.4, but she can clearly pace faster when needed.

I have been impressed with how Outlaw Encore (Smart Shark) has been racing at Fraser Downs. Now she makes her first start at Century Downs and will be looking to assert her dominance in Alberta. She comes into this race sitting on a four-race winning streak. It might take a race or two for Outlaw Encore to adjust to the new track, but that’s a gamble I am willing to take.

Festiveus (Vertical Horizon) is looking to make it back-to-back wins. She beat Beep Bop A Lula in her last start and paced the mile in 1:56.1. She will have to battle for position coming off the gate, but she has proven that she has late speed. Festivus has the fastest closing quarter-mile times in the race. She will likely have to use that to have a chance.

Trey’s Picks: 3-6-7

Race 6: ABSS ALBERTA MARKSMAN THREE-YEAR-OLD COLTS & GELDINGS FIRST ELIMINATION – $7,500

PONDER NO LONGER (6-1)
SHOTS FIRED (2-1)
IGOT SOCKS (10-1)
A PIECE OF CAKE (10-1)
CENALTA DURAMAX (12-1)
STRANGE WORLD (15-1)
GENERAL CUSTARD (4-1)
OPULENT DRAGON (5-2)

General Custard (Custard The Dragon) is my top choice in the first elimination for the colts & geldings division. He has been racing consistently to start 2023 but is still looking for his first win. General Custard has been shaving time off every start, and this could be the time he has enough to visit the winner’s circle. He has a lifetime mark of 1:57.4, but that will change after this race.

I will seek a solid exactor price by taking Ponder No Longer (Smart Shark) for second place. He has not had the best start to the new season, but the last time he drew an inside post position, he could hold on for a second-place finish. This time he gets the rail, and Philip Giesbrecht will take the early lead, and hopefully, they will hang on.

Shots Fired (Custard The Dragon) is another Fraser Downs horse making his season debut in Alberta. He did not have his best stuff during his last race, but he can be one of the top horses if he’s firing on all cylinders. I think he does have enough to finish in the top three, but the competition might be stiff for anything more.

Trey’s Picks: 7-1-2

Race7: ABSS ALBERTA MARKSMAN THREE-YEAR-OLD COLTS & GELDINGS SECOND ELIMINATION – $7,500

REACH OUT (4-1)
ARTICIAN (8-1)
ONE MAJOR HOTTIE (3-1)
MICKIE MANTLE (2-1)
YOU SO SIRIUS (6-1)
HF PANS SHADOW (20-1)
SMOKN JOE (10-1)
PANDA BEER (15-1)

Mickie Mantle (Custard The Dragon) is another Fraser Down invader who has made their way east to Century Downs. He finished second in the Keith Linton Memorial Finals and wants to improve on that performance this weekend. He completed his 2022 year with five straight wins at Fraser Downs, all in the Robert Millbank Memorial series. He has never made a start at Century Downs, but I would expect he has a decent shot of winning his debut.

Nathan Sobey and Reach Out (Custard The Dragon) drew the rail in the second elimination. This will be very useful for the duo as they try to secure a spot in the upcoming ABSS Alberta Marksman Final. Reach Out achieved a new lifetime mark of 1:56 on May 5. That was his only win this year, but he matched the same mile time in his next start but unfortunately finished third that time. He will try to set the early pace this time with the rail and should hold on to land on my winning ticket.

One Major Hottie (Mystician) still needs to find the winner’s circle. He has been racing in nothing but Maiden races so far this year. One Major Hottie has come close to winning but no cigar. However, he has consistently earned cheques by finishing in the top five. Brandon Campbell will have him in the correct position when he hits the stretch.

Trey’s Picks: 4-1-3

Race 8: ABSS ALBERTA MARKSMAN THREE-YEAR-OLD COLTS & GELDINGS THIRD ELIMINATION – $7,500

TEXASDRIFTER (12-1)
FIVE STAR DRAGON (6-1)
MISTER MOOSE (4-1)
POP N LIKE PEZ (3-1)
CATFISH JACK (9-5)
CEASEFIRE (10-1)
OUTRAGEOUS N FANCY (10-1)
LOOEYMAGOOEY (8-1)

In the third elimination, Catfish Jack (Bjs Bequia) has some of the best mile times out of this bunch. He won in 1:55.1 earlier in May, and now his new lifetime mark. Catfish Jack has been racing in Cal Expo before heading north in April. He has already made nine starts this season and is one of the most race-prepped horses in the field.

I will take Texasdrifter (Sixdaysontheroad) to finish second in the hopes of chasing a reasonable price. He drew the inside post during his qualifier and cruised wire-to-wire in 1:59.0. He has come a long way from his days at Miami Fair, where he was pacing miles in 2:07.0. The Travis Ellis entry will look to shake things up in the third elimination with Michael Hennessy in the bike. The price will be right on this horse at post time.

I am praying for a big trifecta payout in this race, and if Looeymagooey (Vertical Horizon) can finish third behind Texasdrifter, I might get that. Looeymagooey has been slowly improving since joining Kelly Hoerdt’s stable. Jean Francois Gagne steered the young pacer to a win last week at 1:57.1. He might need to do a bit better than that to win, but that time should be solid enough for a top-three finish.

Trey’s Picks: 5-1-8

Race 9: ABSS ALBERTA MARKSMAN THREE-YEAR-OLD COLTS & GELDINGS FOURTH ELIMINATION- $7,500

TIN CAN TIMMY (3-1)
IMYOURHUCKLEBERRY (6-1)
THE DICKENS (4-1)
OVER THE HORIZON (8-1)
LUNCH PAIL GUY  (20-1)
VIRTUAL HORIZON (4-5)
BLUE STAR MERCURY (10-1)
HF DEVAN JAMES (15-1)
RUM N RAISINS (8-1)

My slam dunk pick of the day is Virtual Horizon (Vertical Horizon). He comes into the fourth and final elimination on a three-racing winning streak. He’s a perfect three-for-three in 2023 and has the lifetime mark of 1:54.2. Virtual Horizon has been improving his mile time every start. I’m curious how much lower he can get that time! With the track record for three-year-old colts sitting at 1:52.3, could we see Virtual Horizon challenge that this year?

The rail horse will strike again in the final elimination. Tin Can Timmy (Bjs Bequia) finished just behind Virtual Horizon in his last start and drew the rail in that race. This time he will position well at the beginning, and his job will be to keep up and not get buried in the madness. Tin Can Timmy had a good 2022 season and will be looking to get back to that form. He made nine starts last year and won four of those starts. He only finished outside the top three twice last year, so he has been relatively consistent.

I will go off the board again for the third elimination and take Imyourhuckleberry (Westwardho). He won his 2023 debut last week and paced the mile in 1:55.4. A time like that should be more than competitive in this field, but he did struggle to find consistency last year. It’s a new year, so will it be a new Imyourhuckleberry? I think so!

I will review all the action at Century Downs during the next episode of Harness News Live, which airs Saturday, May 20, at 11:00 a.m. EDT. Click here to access the YouTube channel.

The first race at Century Downs will kick off at 1:15 p.m. MDT on Saturday. There will also be ten races Friday night starting at 5:15 p.m. MDT.

by Trey Colbeck, for Harnesslink