Stash The Cookies snags the gold

Stash The Cookies (Sunfire Blue Chip) narrowly avoided a harness racing upset as she took the Fillies and Mares Preferred at Century Mile on Friday (Oct. 20) for the second time in four outings.

The mare pushed to the front for Brandon Campbell after taking the opening quarter of :26.4 in third. She reached the top before the midway point in :54.2 and hit three-quarters in 1:23.1 with no pressure coming. The prospective challengers fanned out entering the stretch, needing to make up two-and-a-half lengths, and Past Affair (David Kelly) emerged with a late rush. She closed rapidly approaching the finish, but Stash The Cookies hung on by a neck in 1:52. Past Affair was second, and Saphire Blue (Doug Chappell) circled the rest for third.

STASH THE COOKIES REPLAY

Stash The Cookies, off at 1-5, has won three of her past five starts and placed in her two losses. The John Chappell-trained seven-year-old is now 28-for-95 lifetime and has compiled a bankroll of $295,999. Derek Gilbert of Brandon owns the mare.

The 10th race of the card concluded with a 34-1 upset as Cenalta Sunrise (Vertical Horizon, Michael Hennessy) flew from fourth and got up by a half-length in a blanket finish. Triple Action (Jamie Gray), a 25-1 shot, also closed and got up for second to create a $735.90 exactor payoff. Cenalta Sunrise was winning for the first time since December and the second time since January 2022. She had finished no better than fifth since moving into Kelly Ducharme’s barn in August. The six-year-old’s record now stands at 11 wins in 73 lifetime tries and $39,410 in earnings.

CENALTA SUNRISE REPLAY

Century Mile hosts one of its biggest cards of the season on Saturday (Oct. 20) with the Century Casino Filly Pace and Western Canada Pacing Derby finals. The events for three-year-olds combing for a purse of $245,010. There will also be two divisions of both the Rocky Mountain Boys and Brad Gunn. Racing will begin at 6:15 p.m. MDT.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink