Exotic Dragon breathes fire in Shirley McClellan

Exotic Dragon followed her record-setting elimination win with a harness racing victory in the $50,000 Shirley McClellan Breeders’ Stake Final on Sunday at Century Downs.

Trainer and driver Nathan Sobey demanded early speed from the Custard The Dragon filly, who fired out from post eight and grabbed the front end spot. Custard Smoothie (Daryl Thiessen), who trailed through the :27.3 first quarter mile, exploded three-wide after the half-mile marker in :57.1 and closed down the leader.

Exotic Dragon picked up speed, going to three-quarters in 1:25.2, to turn away the challenger. She and fellow elimination winner Burning Hot (Paul Giesbrecht) made it a two-horse affair to the finish as the latter popped the pocket on the final turn. Exotic Dragon edged out a two-length gap when swinging into the stretch and held off the closing foe by half a length to score in 1:54.

Burning Hot finished second. Graceful Horizon (Kelly Hoerdt) chased the top two late and was a clear third.

EXOTIC DRAGON REPLAY

Exotic Dragon is now six-for-10 on the season and six-for-11 lifetime. The filly broke the Century Downs track record when she won her elimination for the race in 1:52.3 on Aug. 15. She also won the $45,100 Alberta Sires Stakes Diamond earlier this season. Robert Jones of Stony Plain acquired the $25,000 BC Sale purchase on Jun. 1.

The Shirley McClellan Breeders’ Stake is a race for three-year-old sophomore fillies that are either Alberta-owned, sired, or bred.

Codename Cigar Box, sweeping from the backfield, captured the Moore’s Mile Breeders’ Stake for Alberta-owned, sired, or bred three-year-old male pacers.

After a recall, he retreated from the start and sat sixth as the leaders dueled through a :28.3 opening panel. Driver/trainer Kelly Hoerdt tipped the colt first-over nearing the half in :56.4, and he progressed past foes. Codename Cigar Box tested leader Dragon Energy (Sobey) approaching three-quarters, and the pair matched strides while turning for home.

Codename Cigar Box quickly dispatched the leader but soon faced fire from Bonus Round (David Kelly), who swung three-wide on the bend. Bonus Round made headway in the charge for home, but Codename Cigar Box had ample pace remaining and sealed the victory in 1:55.3.

Bonus Round missed by three quarters of a length. Sunshine Boy (Brandon Campbell) finished third.

CODENAME CIGAR BOX REPLAY

It was the sixth lifetime win for Codename Cigar Box, another Custard The Dragon offspring. He is five-for-10 in 2021 and has made $78,928 in 17 career starts. Hoerdt shares ownership of the $10,000 BC Sale purchase with Fred Gilbert of Brandon and Blair Corbeil of Beaumont.

Century Downs returns to racing on Tuesday, Aug. 24.

For full race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barndsale, for Harnesslink