Race to save Christmas returns to Century Mile

Century Mile has another eight-dash Friday (Dec. 22) card but the feature harness racing event of the night is a heavyweight bout between Santa Claus and The Grinch.

Santa Clause VS The Grinch

I can’t find official odds on this race, but it would be safe to say that ole Kris Kringle will be the heavy betting favourite. It’s hard to go against a guy who can travel worldwide in a single night and deliver presents to millions of children. On the other hand, the Grinch is no slouch either, as he destroyed and saved Christmas for the people of Whoville in one night! The Grinch will deliver an early Christmas present for bettors when he beats out St. Nick. The only greener than the Grinch is the money I will make from this race!

Race 1

Amped Up Annie (Vertical Horizon) enters her 30th start of the year at 4-1 morning line odds. She has finished in the top three in five straight races and had a win a couple of weeks ago in 1:57.1. It will be a battle amongst the betting favourites, but I like her chances.

The morning line favourite, Cenalta Token (Mystery Chase), opens at 2-1 and will be very dangerous in this race. She won her last race with a 1:57.3 mile, her third win of the year. She is also making her 30th start of 2023.

Diva Amour (Custard The Dragon) has been racing tremendously and will be in the conversation. She won on Dec. 7, paced the mile 1:59.0, and followed that up with a second-place finish last weekend.

Race 2

Pull The Trigger (Vertical Horizon) has been close to winning but has yet to find her way to the winner’s circle. She has finished second place three times in 13 career races.

Ciao Bella Rossa (Brioni) has only finished in the top three once in her career, but she draws well. She will have Floyd Fraess, who also has yet to get a driving win in 2023, but the duo has progressed well together lately.

With six third-place finishes, Try Your Luck (Mystery Chase) is the next choice. She has the rail and has shown she likes to take the early lead. She hasn’t been able to hold onto the lead in the past, but that might change.

Race 3

Outlaw Allie Oops (Blue Burner) is a strong choice, looking for three straight wins. The seven-year-old mare posted miles of 1:56.4 and 1:56.1 in her previous wins. She also has a lifetime mark of 1:54.0, which she posted earlier this year.

Jamaica Move (Vertical Horizon) also has back-to-back wins coming into the race. Her mile times were 1:57.3 and 1:57. She, too, has a quicker lifetime mark of 1:54.1, which was only achieved this year.

With back-to-back second-place finishes, Stylomilohos (Mystery Chase) will have a good shot at finishing in the top three again. She finished just behind Outlaw Allie Oops both times, but she might be looking for revenge.

Race 4

Daisy Corvette (Mystician) finished just behind Stash The Cookies in the last Filly & Mare Preferred but will look to capitalize on her absence. The four-year-old mare was on a roll with a five-race win streak during the fall. However, that streak ended, and now it has been two races since she was last in the winner’s circle.

Century Mach (JK Royal Flush) comes from Fraser Downs, where she was a regular in the Filly & Mare Preferred. She won the preferred back-to-back times in November but will now face new opponents in Alberta.

Sunshineatthebeach (Sunshine Beach) opened with 3-1 morning line odds and deserves to be looked at before this race. She hasn’t won since Oct. 27 but has been in the top four in every race since then. She knows the class very well and will be in striking distance late.

Race 5

This will be the second start for Miso Classy (In The Irons) under trainer Gregory Manning. She won her first race while being in his stable with a 1:56 mile. The six-year-old Manitoba-bred mare is still racing at her best, achieving a new lifetime mark of 1:53.0 earlier this year.

Another Manitoba-bred mare, Go On Bow Bow (Lambretta), should catch your eye. The last time she drew the rail, she won wire-to-wire in 1:55.4, and now her career is at its best.

Let’s call this the Manitoba-bred-triple-play and add Havinfuninthesun (Sunshine Beach). She has back-to-back second-place finishes. One was behind Miso Classy, and the other she just lost to Go On Bow Bow.

Race 6

Five Star Dragon (Custard The Dragon) has two wins on his record and a top mile time of 1:56.1. His lifetime mark is the fastest in the field but over a full second. He should win easily if he hits his potential, but he has yet to post a time that fast for a while.

Hard Ticket (Outrageous Art) has been slowly improving. He had four straight fourth-place finishes but snapped that streak with a third. He followed his third-place effort with a second-place finish in his last race. His lifetime mark 1:58.4 should be enough to keep up with the favourite, Five Star Dragon.

It’s wide open for third, but I like the rail horse, Lunch Pail Guy (Santanna Blue Chip). He has yet to get the best results, but his mile times are on par with the rest of the field.

Race 7

Hf Devan James (Wink N Atcha) will have an excellent price if his betting line closes around his 6-1 morning line odd. He has back-to-back second-place finishes heading into this race and won the race just before that. The three-year-old gold has been racing really well and will be teamed up with Phil Giesbrecht.

Another Manitoba bred catches my eye; this time, it’s Igot Socks (Lambretta). He will be teamed up with Brandon Campbell, and the two have been growing chemistry over the fall. I like their chances, even with them drawing post position eight.  

The morning line favourite, Artician (Mystician), is coming off a win in his last race. He paced the mile in 1:58.2 but also has had a trainer change. I am interested in seeing what he does under David Kelly.

Race 8

Outlawstormywether (Blue Burner) has finished in the top three in seven straight races. Over that time, she has accumulated four wins as well. She posted a new lifetime mark of 1:52.2 in October and has been pacing similarly.

I have never seen a crazier race than when Electric Amadeus (Rockin Amadeus) won after breaking twice in one race! This was back in 2020, and she was racing at the Miami Fair, but it is still a wild story. She has done very well since moving to the bigger tracks in Alberta. She visited the winner’s circle eight times in 2023 and achieved a new lifetime mark of 1:54.0.

At 5-2 odds, Goodbye Ceia Later (Vertical Horizon) is the next choice. She has not won since Sep. 29 and has only four other wins this year. However, she was racing in the Filly & Mare Preferred before but has dropped class.

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

For complete race entries, click here.

by Trey Colbeck, for Harnesslink