Graceful Horizon avenges DQ with powerful win

Top Alberta mare Graceful Horizon (Vertical Horizon) blew away her Fillies and Mares Preferred Pace rivals at Century Downs on Saturday (Jun. 25), four days after being disqualified from a third straight win.

The four-year-old mare traveled in fourth through the :28.4 opening quarter, but she was in front in a flash as Phill Giesbrecht pulled the trigger on the second turn. Graceful Horizon set the :57.4 half time and soared eight lengths away from her five rivals to three-quarters in 1:24.3.

She maintained her margin down the stretch under wraps to score by eight-and-a-quarter lengths in 1:53.2.

Mrs Suhwiggins (Michael Hennessy) was best of the rest. Outlaw Allie Oops (Jamie Gray) finished third. The winner returned $2.70.

GRACEFUL HORIZON REPLAY

Graceful Horizon, an Alberta Sires Stakes champion last season, has won 15 of her 27 tries and has earned $184,676. Christopher Lancaster trains the mare and co-owns her with Derek Gilbert of Brandon and Velda Olding of Abbotsford. She was disqualified for going inside three backstretch pylons after winning on Jun. 21 and is now three-for-eight this year.

Codename Cigar Box (Custard The Dragon) paced every step on the outside in the Preferred Pace but persisted for the victory, his third straight.

Tyler Redwood took the gelding’s lines for the first time and could not find a seat at the rail from post eight, and they were seventh and parked at the quarter in :27.1. He caught his cover by the half in :55.3 and launched three-wide at three-quarters in 1:23.1 to chase leader Ice Blue Scooter (Nathan Sobey).

Icy Blue Scooter proved a persistent foe, but Codename Cigar Box kicked on in deep stretch to pull a half-length clear and win in 1:52. Samba Beat (Giesbrecht) rallied for show. The win price was $3.80.

CODENAME CIGAR BOX REPLAY

Kelly Hoerdt trains and co-owns Codename Cigar Box with Fred Gilbert of Brandon and Blair Corbeil of Beaumont. The gelding has compiled a $232,593 bankroll and has scored 17 times in 41 lifetime tries. He had won six straight before Samba Beat ended the streak in the Ed Tracey Memorial on May 14.

Three drivers – Giesbrecht, Hoerdt, and David Kelly – scored three wins on the 17-race Century Downs card. The track hosted an expanded card due to a surplus of entries after a schedule change to two days per week.

Century Downs returns to action on Saturday, Jul. 2.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink