Shark Week back for seventh straight feast

Shark Week (Vertical Horizon) victimized Alberta’s best harness racing pacers for a seventh consecutive Preferred Handicap start at Century Mile on Saturday (Jan. 7).

Michael Hennessy was undeterred by the eight-hole draw and had the stallion on the front midway through the first turn. Shark Week sent :27.1, :57, and 1:26.1 fractions to the tote and sprinted for the wire with Samba Beat (Phil Giesbrecht) providing an earnest challenge from the pocket.

Samba Beat wore down the leader until the line, but Shark Week was a neck the best in 1:53.3.

Outlaw Gunsablazin (Kelly Hoerdt) converted an inside trip into a show finish.

SHARK WEEK REPLAY

It was Shark Week’s yearly debut. The horse took a four-week break after his sixth Preferred Handicap win in a row on Dec. 10. Rodney Hennessy trains the now-five-year-old and co-owns him with Lorn Duffield of Edmonton.

Century Mile’s Saturday schedule rolls on into Jan. 14.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink