Grey Sea hits double digits with Preferred win

Grey Sea (Custard The Dragon) took her 10th victory of the harness racing season as she won the Fillies and Mares Preferred at Fraser Downs on Thursday (Dec. 14).

The mare, coming off her first off-the-board finish since August, strode to the front and led into the first turn for John Abbott before letting If Only Id Known (Kelly Hoerdt) go by. The latter brought the field to the quarter in :27.3 and led through middle panels of :58.1 and 1:26.4.

Mystic Shadow (Brad Watt) chipped away first-up but treaded water as If Only Id Known turned first. Grey Sea shifted into the passing lane, and she soared by her rival to snag the victory by three-quarters-of-a-length in 1:55.3.

If Only Id Known was a clear second. Mystic Shadow was third.

GREY SEA REPLAY

Grey Sea is now 10-for-23 on the year after going perfect in four starts as a rookie. Gordon Abbott trains the Seaspray Stables homebred. The four-year-old has earned $95,550 in 27 career outings.

Earlier on the card, Kootenay Cocoa (Beren Hanover) maintained her perfect career record in a victory which likely caused multiple heart-in-mouth moments for one bettor. $22,384 came in to show on the unbeaten filly at a track where a typical show pool ranges from $1,000 to $3,000. She broke stride on the first turn but returned to the pace quickly and sat fourth until Tyson Jacoby pulled her first up nearing three-quarters. The filly motored to the top and secured the victory in 1:57 for trainer Kyle Chadwick, but the judges lit the inquiry sign. After being cleared of any violation of the breaking rule, she reached the winner’s circle for the seventh time as a two-year-old.

KOOTENAY COCOA REPLAY

Drivers Kelly Hoerdt and Tyson Jacoby both won three races on the night. All of Hoerdt’s winners came from his own barn.

Fraser Downs will conclude its racing season with a nine-race program on Friday, Dec. 15. First post is set for 7:00 p.m. PST.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink