New Year’s Eve picks at Century Mile

Century Mile has a 13 harness race card set for New Year’s Eve. The Jackpot Pick 5 is also a mandatory payout with a $24,534 carryover. The Pick 5 starts in the ninth race and proceeds to the final race of the night.

Race 1

Outlaw Allie Oops (Blue Burner) has won three races. His fastest mile time during the streak is 1:55.1. The filly also has the most wins this year in the field.

You Promyst (Mystician) hasn’t won since the ABSS Super Finals in November. However, she has a few finishes in the top three in recent starts. She is listed as the 2-1 morning line favourite.

Ima Beach Diva (Sunshine Beach) snapped her three-race win streak at her last start. She finished fifth but was placed fourth after a pending inquiry. She paced her winning miles in 1:56.3, 1:56.4 and 1:55, comparable to the other favourites.

Race 2

I like the rail horse, The Dickens (Custard The Dragon) in this one. He only has one win this year but still opened at 4-1 odds. He has finished in the top three 11 times in 24 starts in 2023. He always finds a way to finish near the top.

Up Yer Kilt (Mystician) will also have the rail but will be on the second tier. His race will be reliant on The Dickens. Up Yer Kilt has finished in the top three in his last three races. He even has a win during the stretch in 1:55.1

Thoughts Of A Fool (Thinking Out Loud) had a six-race streak where he finished in the top two. However, the streak was snapped when he finished eighth in his last start. He will have to fight through traffic initially but should still be at the front at the end.

Race 3

Sport Jewels (Sportswriter) won his last start and paced the mile in a personal best, 1:57.2. He had back-to-back seventh-place finishes before that. Phil Giesbrecht has found some chemistry with the gelding and will return on the bike on Sunday.

Hard Ticket (Outrageous Art) hasn’t won since Jan. 7, but he has been finishing near the top lately. He finished third his last time out and lost out to Sports Jewels. Hard Ticket’s time is very consistent, and he should match up well.

At 6-1, Pull The Trigger (Vertical Horizon) is an option for a decent price. He also won his last start, but in 2:00.2. He has posted sub 2:00 times and should be competitive. He also has finished in the top three in six of his last seven starts.

Race 4

Midnight Mover (Mystician) is looking for his third win of the year. He finished second by just a neck in his last start. Now, with the rail, the odds makers have given him 2-1 odds to start. His last win came with Phil Giesbrecht, who is once again in the bike with the four-year-old.

Outlaw Witfit (Smart Shark) also comes off a second-place effort in his last start. His performance leading up to that hasn’t been something to write home about. However, His mile times are very competitive in this field.

Radar Enforced (Sportswriter) also doesn’t have the best-looking race lines, but his mile times are on par with the favourites. His lifetime mark 1:53 is the fastest in the field, but it was achieved at Fraser Downs.

Race 5

Ontheroadtotexas (Sixdaysontheroad) has been on a lovely stretch over her last four races. She has had two wins and two second-place finishes over that time. Her fastest mile time over her last four starts is 1:55.3, but her career-best is 1:53.2. The five-year-old mare opens at 2-1 odds.

The last time Havingfuninthesun (Sunshine Beach) drew the rail, she finished second place. Since then, she has finished second place two more times. She has an excellent shot to replicate that outcome.

Hf Flower (Ameripan Gigolo) won her last start in 1:55.4, one of the fastest recent mile times in the field. However, her race lines indicate she doesn’t always perform well with an outside post position.

Keep an eye out for Miso Classy (In The Irons).

Race 6

Daisy Corvette (Mystician) has been on a decent groove over the last few months. She has earned all six wins this year since Sep. 29. She even made a new lifetime mark of 1:51.1 and won her previous start in 1:54.1.

If Only Id Known (Shadow Play) has been one of the top contenders in the Filly & Mare Preferred at Fraser Downs. Her mile times have been very similar to Daisy Corvette, but it will be interesting to see if she can readjust to the mile-long track in Edmonton.

Sunshineatthebeach (Sunshine Beach) has been a consistent fixture in the Filly & Mare Preferred for some time. She hasn’t won since Oct. 27, but her name is always in consideration.

Race 7

Giving Electric Amadeus (Rockin Amadeus) can be dangerous. She hasn’t done well drawing the outside but is now sliding into a new class. She opened at even money, so the odds maker thinks it’s her race to lose.

At 4-1, Stylomilohos (Mystery Chase) is a good choice that could come with a decent price. She had back-to-back second-place finishes before he had a fourth her last time. She only has one win this year but has finished second place 11 times. That’s roughly 34% of her starts this year. She has finished in the top two.

Jamaica Move (Vertical Horizon) is the next choice at 7-2 odds. She has won twice in her last three starts. However, those wins have come wire-to-wire, and she has drawn post-eight this time. She likes to get to the front early, but it will take a lot of work this time.

Race 8

BB Bad Tothebone (Gotta Bad Attitude) has five wins this year, and the last came on Nov. 18. Since then, she has had some decent finishes. She finished second in her previous start by only a head. Her mile times are some of the best in the field.

The morning line favourite at 3-2 is Diva Amour (Custard The Dragon). She has drawn the rail but will be in the second tier. This is her second start since coming from Fraser Downs. She finished third last time out and will be looking for more.

Sweet Carolineemma (Malicious) is the next choice at 4-1. She finished third in her last start behind BB Bad Tothebone. The inside post position should be helpful as the rail horse doesn’t usually leave.

Race 9

Pongo (Mystician) has back-to-back wins. He has shown he can win wire-to-wire so that the inside post position will help. His previous mile times were 1:56.1 and 1:56.3

Mr Dillion (Lambretta) also likes to get to the front early. He won his last start in 1:55.3 and did it wire-to-wire.

Tuff As Buff (Sunshine Beach) should have some relief with the slight drop in class. His times are competitive with the other favourites. He paced the mile in 1:55.4 during his last win.

Race 10

Retros Mystery (Mystery Chase) has won back-to-back races while going wire-to-wire. He also drew a post three times and will line up again.

Bud Neigh Kid (Vertical Horizon) performs well when he draws close to the inside. He has finished third place in back-to-back races and has an excellent chance to do it again.

Came A Cavalier (Domitian Hanover) has finished in the top two in his last three starts, so he opens at 3-1 odds. However, he drew the rail in his previous two starts and will be in the middle of the track this time. He has overcome it before but has stiff competition to his left.

Race 11

Ernesto Delacruz (Vertical Horizon) has been one of the top horses in the Preferred. His last win was on Nov. 18, and he paced the mile in 1:52. His kryptonite, like others, has been Shark Week. With no Shark Week this week, Ernesto Delacruz opens at the 2-1 favourite.

No Collusion (Riverboat King) finished second behind Shark Week last time. It was a big bounce back from the fifth-place finish time before. He has won the Preferred on Dec. 2 in 1:51.2

Samba Beat (Santanna Blue Chip) enters the Preferred category after winning his last start in 1:53.4. He had back-to-back third-place finishes before that. Look for his name to be near the front.

Race 12

My Little Chloe’s (Lambretta) last win came wire-to-wire, and she paced the mile in 1:56. Since her previous win, she has back-to-back second-place finishes. She opens at 2-1 morning line odds.

Short Sell Hanover (Bettors Delight) has won two of her last three starts. She won both times in 1:56.4, while her lifetime mark is 1:55.4.

Tina La Vida (Santanna Blue Chip) has won twice and finished second twice in her last five starts. Her times are very competitive with the other favourites. She has been given 4-1 morning line odds.

Race 13

Captain Fireball (Captaintreacherous) has finished either first or second place in six straight races. He had won four in a row and now has back-to-back seconds. His last win came in 1:53.3, which was good enough to be a new personal best.

Blue Star Mercury (Mystician) has also been racing very well lately. He has finished in the top three in nine straight races, which includes the Western Canada Pacing Derby. Her fastest win this year was in 1:52.3, but her most recent win had a mile time of 1:56.3.

At 10-1, Tajmania (Tajma) is the potential upset I’d look out for. He draws the rail, and his recent lines have shown he has done well when he has taken the early lead. Chances are the favourites will catch him down the stretch, but he should hold on to a top spot.

Pick 5 (Races 9 to 13): 2,3,4/2,3,6/1,6,7,8/1,6/6,7

First race at Century Mile is set for  6:15 p.m. MDT.

For complete race entries, click here.

by Trey Colbeck, for Harnesslink