Graceful Horizon heats up with second straight

Graceful Horizon has put her poor start behind her.

The Vertical Horizon harness racing mare captured the Fillies and Mares Open at Century Downs on Tuesday (May 24), 10 days after breaking the track record in a dominant stakes win. Those two wins came after the Alberta Sires Stakes champion went 0-for-4 to begin her four-year-old season.

On Tuesday, she strolled to an early lead from the pylon post and kept the accelerator pushed through :27.1 and :55.2 first-half fractions that put her seven lengths ahead on the backstretch for Phil Giesbrecht. Senga Nightmare (Ryan Grundy) rallied from third and charged after the leader through three-quarters in 1:23.4.

Graceful Horizon mustered her remaining pace at the top of the stretch and handily held off Senga Nightmare for the win in 1:53. The latter was little threat in deep-stretch and was a length-and-a-quarter short. Jessies Girl (Kelly Hoerdt) was on her own in third. The public backed the winner to be her best, as she returned $2.10.

Graceful Horizon has now won 14 times in 25 career tries and has raked in $177,926. Derek Gilbert of Brandon, Velda Olding of Abbotsford, and Christopher Lancaster of Airdrie share ownership of the mare. Lancaster, her trainer at two and three, took over duties again in May before her return to Century Downs. She was off for three months after starting the season winless in four outings.

Giesbrecht went on to pilot two more winners on the day.

Century Downs goes live again on Saturday, May 28 at 2:15 p.m. MDT.

For full race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink