Divine Art nabs 12th straight in $112,910 Century Casino Filly Pace

Divine Art (Outrageous Art) reaffirmed her dominance over the three-year-old filly division in Western Canada with her 12th straight harness racing victory in the $112,910 Century Casino Filly Pace on Saturday (Dec. 3) at Century Mile.

Nathan Sobey steered the filly to the top, leaving her on the rim throughout the :27.2 first panel to get there. He commanded :55.4 speed to the half but took a more sizable breather to three-quarters in 1:25.1.

Saphire Blue (Phil Giesbrecht) launched from the pocket turning for home as the backfield failed to challenge. The filly dogged the leader all the way home, but Divine Art proved too tough and crossed the line with a fist pump from Sobey ahead by a length-and-three-quarters.

Saphire Blue finished second in the 1:54.2 mile. Shoot The Whiskey (Brandon Campbell) rallied for third.

DIVINE ART REPLAY

Divine Art has won 12 races in a row, including the Alberta Sires Stakes (ABSS) Super Final, ABSS Marquis, Gord and Illa Rumpel Memorial, and ABSS Diamond. She is 13-for-16 this season and has tasted victory in 16 of her 22 career starts. She has earned $312,082 for owners Robert Jones of Stony Plain, co-breeder Diane Bertrand of Lake Country, and John Hind of Calgary. Sobey also trains the filly.

Later on the card, Ernesto Delacruz (Vertical Horizon) made it a stakes sweep for this season’s three-year-old Alberta Sires Stakes champions, winning $93,310 Western Canada Pacing Derby in a career-best harness racing performance.

The odds-on favourite struck the front quickly for Jean-Francois Gagne and headed the field through :27.2, :54.2, and 1:23.1 fractions. Joe Rich (Jamie Gray) and Matts A Mystician (Sobey) chased from either flank, but Ernesto Delacruz expanded his margin with every step in the final metres to tally a four-and-a-quarter-length gap at the line with a clocking of 1:52.4. Joe Rich held off Matts A Mystician for place.

ERNESTO DELACRUZ REPLAY

It was the 11th win in this debut season for Ernesto Delacruz. Among his 24 starts, he has also won the Alberta Sires Stakes Super Final, Alberta Sires Stakes Maverick, Alberta Sires Stakes Maverick, and the Moore’s Mile Breeders’ Stake. Gagne trains the gelding and co-owns him with Peter Van Seggelen of Heritage Point. They bred the gelding, who has now earned $222,488.

Century Mile continues racing on Friday, Dec. 9.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink