Alberta stars battle in stakes finals at Century Downs

Alberta’s best harness racing horses battled in $248,400 worth of stakes on closing day at Century Downs on Saturday (Aug. 31).

Custard Dolce’s (Custard The Dragon) crushing track-record victory in the $70,000 ASHA Filly Pace for two-year-old fillies kicked off the stakes action.

The filly secured her fourth straight victory as she brushed from fourth to first and rolled clear by seven lengths to score in 1:54 with Phil Giesbrecht in the sulky. Mademechangemnymind (Nathan Sobey) was second, followed by Imashipwreck (Brandon Campbell).

Custard Dolce’s 1:54 clocking gave her the new track record for a two-year-old pacing filly, beating Burning Hot’s time of 1:55.2.

CUSTARD DOLCE REPLAY

The win kept Custard Dolce undefeated in stakes competition. She was fourth on debut, then won her Emerald Filly Pace and Alberta Sires Stakes divisions and her elimination for Saturday’s race. She is four-for-five with $63,987 in earnings for trainer Jamie Gray, who bred her and shares ownership with Jackson Wittup, Max Gibb, and Derek Wilson.

A big elim victory wasn’t enough to convince the public to back Outlawminutbyminut (Smart Shark, Logan Gillis), who shocked at 27-1 in the $70,000 Century Casinos Pace for rookie colts and geldings.

The gelding, a four-length winner in his elimination, secured an auspicious pocket trip that benefited from a leader break on the final turn that caused the first-over favourite to gallop. Outlawminutbyminut inherited the lead and rolled to a three-and-a-half-length victory in 1:57.1.

Discontinued recovered from his break to cross the line second, but he was disqualified to fifth for causing interference. Worldsgreatestsin (Mike Hennessy) was promoted to place, and Custers Stand (Sobey) moved up to third.

OUTLAWMINUTBYMINUT REPLAY

Outlawminutbyminut was 0-for-two in his first two starts before winning his Century Casinos Pace elim. Gillis trains and co-owns the freshman with Todd Teolis. The gelding has now earned $41,750 in four appearances.

Outlawguns N Roses (Captive Audience, Dave Kelly) made it three straight with an impressive effort in the $53,900 Alberta Sires Stakes Princess Final for three-year-old fillies as the odds-on favourite.

She was away sixth but pulled out before the half and picked past rivals throughout the middle half. Four lengths back at three-quarters, the three-year-old reeled in loose leader Over Ice (Campbell) and got by to score by a half-length in 1:52.3. Over Ice was a game second. Oye Como Va (Sobey) finished third, five lengths back.

OUTLAWGUNS N ROSES REPLAY

Outlawguns N Roses is eight-for-10 on the year with four stakes final successes. The Rodney Starkewski-trained filly has now won 12 of 19 career starts and has amassed earnings of $269,700. Starkewski co-owns the sophomore with Clauzette Byckal.

Grey Horizon (Vertical Horizon, Campbell) concluded the stakes action with an off-the-pace victory in the Alberta Sires Stakes Plainsmen for three-year-old males. The colt was third-over approaching the final turn and swooped three-wide to begin his charge, firing into contention. He carried his momentum into the stretch and out-kicked Matteuse (Sobey) to secure the win by a length in 1:53.4.

Matteuse finished a tough second after a first-over grind. Rum N Custard (Kelly Hoerdt) finished third.

GREY HORIZON REPLAY

Grey Horizon, with three stakes final scores this season, has collected 11 wins and $240,210 in earnings in 19 career attempts. Campbell conditions the three-year-old for owners Jodi Loftus, Raymond Henry, and George Rogers. It was the colt’s fourth consecutive win.

The stakes events were preceded by another Preferred victory by Shark Week (Vertical Horizon), the all-time track record-holder, who reached the $400,000 earnings milestone. He did not lead to the quarter for the first time since August 2023, but the gelding took over on the backstretch and blew the field away by seven lengths in a 1:50.4 win. It was his fastest time of the year.

SHARK WEEK REPLAY

The six-year-old gelding made it 22 wins from his past 23 starts with the score, his 47th lifetime. He won 17 Preferreds in a row from May 2023 to April 2024 and became the first horse in Western Canada history to break 1:50. Rodney Hennessy trains the six-year-old and co-owns him with Lorne Duffield. He has now earned $401,475 in 82 career starts.

That race day concluded the meet for Century Downs. Mike Hennessy secured the drivers’ title with 75 wins over Campbell’s 72. Campbell earned training honours, though, with 53 tallies. Hoerdt tallied 43 in a second-place season.

Century Mile will receive the baton and begin its meet on Sep. 21.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink