Fraser Preferred won last-to-first by a nose

Stash The Cookies (Sunfire Blue Chip) reached up at the last possible moment to complete a last-to-first harness racing victory in the Fillies and Mares Preferred at Century Mile on Wednesday (Jan. 8).

The mare trailed her four rivals through the opening splits of :27.3 and :55.3. Dave Kelly pressed the go button as the field approached the final turn, and Stash The Cookies rolled forward to press leader Outlaw Sharktastic (Nathan Sobey) to three-quarters in 1:25.2.

Outlaw Sharktastic initially repelled the attacker, but the resolute Stash The Cookies began to chip down her lead again in mid-stretch. The pacesetter battled gamely to the end, but Stash The Cookies got up under the shadow of the wire to win by a nose in 1:54.1.

Goodbye Ceia Later (Phil Giesbrecht) was third.

STASH THE COOKIES REPLAY

Stash The Cookies, one of Alberta’s most prolific free-for-all mares over the last three seasons, is now 42-for-118 lifetime with $417,859 in earnings. John Chappell trains the seven-year-old for Derek Gilbert of Brandon. She has won four of her past five starts.

Racing is set to continue at Century Mile on Saturday, Jan. 11 at 6:15 p.m. MST.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink