Grey Sea romps in Fraser opener

Harness racing mare Grey Sea (Custard The Dragon) secured her first Preferred-level victory since May as she crushed her opponents in the Fillies and Mares Preferred on opening night at Fraser Downs on Thursday (Sep. 12).

She established a loose lead to the quarter in :27.3 and saw no action through middle splits of :57.4 and 1:25.3. John Abbott let the mare roll heading into the final turn, and she left her opponents behind as she soared to a six-and-three-quarter-length romp in 1:54. Arrhythmic Dream (Dave Hudon) held off B On The Hunt (Scott Knight) for second.

GREY SEA REPLAY

Grey Sea is now 18-for-49 lifetime and has banked $149,650 for owner/breeder Seaspray Stables of Nanaimo. Gordon Abbott trains the mare, a four-time winner this year. She is one of the top distaffs in Western Canada with 12 on-the-board finishes at the Preferred level this year.

Rod Therres bolstered a strong season as he drove five of his trainees to victory. He started the evening with back-to-back scores, sending out debut winners Fubar Bundy (All Bets Off, 1:54.3) and Heavens Lil Dragon (Custard The Dragon, 1:59.1). He then took the fourth with Rollin Withholly A (Roll With Joe, 1:56) and completed bookend doubles as he won with Martini Please (Dali, 1:59.1) and Dillon James (Mystician, 1:56) in the seventh and eighth, respectively.

Therres is winning at an 18.3 per cent rate as a driver and a 28.2 per cent clip as a trainer this season. He is now four training wins away from reaching the 1,000 milestone.

Fraser Downs will continue racing on Friday, Sep. 13 at 7:00 p.m. PDT. The track will follow a Thursday-Friday schedule through New Year’s.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink