Campbell wins three at Century Downs including another with Virtual Horizon

Century Downs held another action-packed card that featured several stake race eliminations.

Virtual Horizon (Vertical Horizon) captured the first elimination of the Ralph Klein Memorial and remains perfect in 2023. This is the three-year-old colt’s tenth straight win, and looks almost unbeatable. This was Brandon Campbell’s third win on the card in the bike. Virtual Horizon paced the mile in 1:54.4 and won wire-to-wire, but Over The Horizon made it interesting by closing late.

VIRTUAL HORIZON REPLAY

General Custard (Custard The Dragon) won the second elimination and matched his lifetime mark of 1:53.4. The Fourth win of the year for the David Kelly-trained gelding. Kelly was also in the bike, and it was his second win on the card.

GENERAL CUSTARD REPLAY

Two-year-old pacing fillies were up first and kicked off the card with two eliminations for the ASHA Filly Pace. Outlawguns N Roses (Captive Audience) won the first elimination and broke her maiden as well. It took her three starts to get the job done finally, and she did it wire-to-wire with a mile time of 1:56.2. David Kelly drove the young pacer for trainer Rodney Starkwski.

Jamie Gray captured the second elimination with Foothills Magic (Captive Audience). She paced the mile in 1:59.0 and broke her maidens after finishing third in her racing debut. Gray and Foothills Magic enjoyed a pocket trip for most of the race and found space to sail by the betting favourite, Sandras Mystery.

Two-year-old colts & geldings had their chance next in the Century Casinos Pace eliminations. Jamie Gray Found himself in the winner’s circle again in the first elimination with his colt Come On Santana (Santanna Blue Chip). Another first career win on the day, and this race went in 1:57.1. Come On Santaa took the early lead but was passed by HF WinkNat Shadows as the field of six passed the grandstands for the first time. Gray and Come On Santana were comfortable in the pocket for a while until they challenged for the lead again down the backstretch. The duo took off from the field and won by at least nine lengths.

Campbell picked up his first win on the day with Grey Horizon (Vertical Horizon) in the other Century Casinos Pace elimination. Now three-for-three early in his career, Grey Horizon posted a new lifetime mark of 1:57.0. He sails into the finals with momentum and will likely be a tough one to beat. Campbell also took home the first elimination of the Gord and Illa Rumpel Memorial Stake for three-year-old fillies. Side Piece (Shadow Play) wins her third straight and remains perfect in 2023 with a wire-to-wire victory.

G Ts Skyla (Mystician) won the other Gord and Illa Rumpel Memorial Stake elimination. She paced the mile in 1:54.3 and earned her fifth win of the year. Logan Gillis pushed G Ts Skyla to the lead early and won by over ten lengths.

There was an accident in the ninth race that involved drivers, Tyler Redwood, Nathan Sobey, Brandon Campbell and Logan Gillis. Reports indicated all the horses and drivers are okay.

Gord and Ill Rumpel Memorial and Ralph Klein Memorial are scheduled for Aug. 12, while the finals for the ASHA Filly Pace and Century Casinos Pace are set for Aug. 16

Century Downs will be back in action on Friday, Aug. 11.

For complete race results, click here.

By Trey Colbeck, for Harnesslink