Star sophomores clash in ABSS stakes elims

Alberta’s best locally-sired sophomore pacers battled in harness racing eliminations for the ABSS Alberta Diamond for fillies and ABSS Alberta Marksman for colts and geldings on Saturday (Jul. 2) at Century Downs.

Each stake required three elimination divisions. The top three finishers from each group made the finals that will be held on Jul. 9 at the same circuit.

Wrangler Jewel (Wrangler Betonme, Jean Francois Gagne) performed a give-and-go to take the lead in the first quarter and stayed in front to the finish for a 1:59 victory in the first Diamond division. Outlawskysthelimit (Jamie Gray) picked up ground late for second. Dialmeup (David Kelly) finished third.

Marie Brooking trains Wrangler Jewel, the upset winner of the $100,000 Shirley McLellan Breeder’s Stake in May. The homebred has won four of her 12 career starts and earned $94,290 for Dr. Maurice Stewart of Leduc County.

WRANGLER JEWEL REPLAY

Divine Art (Outrageous Art) brushed to the lead approaching the half and cruised to a career-best 1:54.2 romp in the second division for trainer/driver Nathan Sobey. Chaste Forever (Kelly Hoerdt) was five-and-a-quarter lengths adrift in second. Proud Of My Roots (Kelly) was third.

DIVINE ART REPLAY

The winning filly was her division’s Alberta Sires Stakes Super Final champion last season. She is five-for-11 lifetime and has earned $82,317. Robert Jones of Stony Plain, Diane Bertrand of Edmonton, and John Hind of Calgary share ownership of the filly.

The third elimination saw Jamaica Move (Vertical Horizon, Kelly Hoerdt) dodge a backwards-moving rival at the quarter pole and surge past four rivals to take the win in 1:56.3, a new lifetime mark. She caught Goodbye Ceia Later (Michael Hennessy) and Saphire Blue (J. Brandon Campbell) by a neck — they finished second and third, respectively.

JAMAICA MOVE REPLAY

It was Jamaica Move’s first win in 10 starts this year and third lifetime in 16. She has earned $39,631 for Hoerdt, who trains and shares ownership with Ralph Morrow of Cartwright.

The ABSS Alberta Diamond final for Alberta-sired three-year-old pacing fillies holds a $50,000 purse.

Ernesto Delacruz (Vertical Horizon, Gagne), this season’s $100,000 Moore’s Mile Breeders’ Stake winner, went coast-to-coast in the first elimination of the ABSS Alberta Marksman. He was two lengths the best over Subzero (Campbell) and Angelo (Kelly).

ERNESTO DELACRUZ REPLAY

Gagne, a resident of Wetaskiwin, trains and shares ownership of Ernesto Delacruz with co-breeder Peter Van Seggelen. The colt has won five in 10 lifetime starts and has a $65,070 bankroll to date.

Lets Tie One On (Vertical Horizon) circled the field in the second split, passing all six rivals in the back half for driver Phil Giesbrecht to win by a half-length in 1:56.4. Joe Dimagio (Hoerdt) finished second after a first-over bid. Wine Thirty (Hennessy) took the last spot in the final.

LETS TIE ONE ON REPLAY

Christopher Lancaster conditions Lets Tie One On and co-owns him with Hoerdt, who lives in Beaumont, and Derek Gilbert of Brandon. It was the colt’s first tally of the season and fifth in 14. He lifted his bankroll to $68,845 with the win.

Vegas Gambler (Mystery Chase, Hennessy) capitalized on a pocket trip to prevail in the final elimination by a head over Joe Rich (Campbell) with a 1:56.1 lifetime-best mile time. Sharkas Lil Lad (Kelly) trekked first-over for show.

VEGAS GAMBLER REPLAY

Vegas Gambler won four Alberta Sires Stakes events as a two-year-old but is two-for-eight this season. Overall, he has won seven of 15 starts and racked up $93,604 in earnings for trainer and part-owner Rodney Starkewski. Clauzette Byckal of Onoway is the other shareholder in the colt.

The final of the ABSS Alberta Marksman for sophomore Alberta-sired males also goes for $50,000.

Century Downs will be dark until Jul. 9, the date of both finals.

For the Alberta stakes schedule, click here.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink