Two rookies make it four-for-four in BC-bred Stake

Buddy Knocks (Betterthancheddar) and Over Ice (Custard The Dragon) stayed perfect as they each took fourth straight wins to start their harness racing careers in their BC-bred Stake divisions at Fraser Downs on Thursday (Oct. 19).

Buddy Knocks cruised to a seven-length victory in the first division of the Robert Millbank Memorial for freshman pacing males. He cut the mile for Scott Knight with :28, :57.3, and 1:27.2 fractions, soaring clear in the stretch. Mcmoney (Kelly Hoerdt) was second and well clear of Sylvester (Phil Giesbrecht) is second. There was an accident in the stretch in which Wannabeabigstar (Brandon Campbell) fell from second and was then hit by Outlawstaythcourse (John Abbott). Wannabeabigstar and all drivers were up shortly after the incident and all appeared to be not seriously injured. Both reinsmen continued to drive on the night.

BUDDY KNOCKS REPLAY

The winner is unbeaten in four starts, including three legs of the Millbank Memorial. Rod Therres trains the gelding, who has now earned $25,500, for Veikko Pajunen of Vancouver.

Over Ice added her fourth career win in the sole third leg division of the Betty Millbank Memorial for two-year-old fillies. In a similar manner to Buddy Knocks, she showed the way and increased her cushion down the stretch for the victory. The filly, driven by Campbell, was home in 2:01. Great Emotion (Dave Hudon) passed pocket-sitter Senorita Draco (Knight) late for place.

OVER ICE REPLAY

Over Ice has swept the first three legs of the Betty Millbank Series for trainer Jim Marino. The filly has taken home $30,500 in purses for owner/breeder J J J Stables of Prince George.

In the second Robert Millbank Memorial division, Iknowbetter (Betterthancheddar) reset after a break turning for home and rolled to victory. The gelding sat the pocket for Hoerdt after Nothing Bugs Me (Therres) took over just past the quarter. Iknowbetter made his move on the far turn and broke briefly, but he found his footing and charged again, soaring to victory by two-and-three-quarter-lengths in 1:55.4. Phone Nine One One (Campbell) also got by Nothing Bugs Me and took second.

IKNOWBETTER REPLAY

The win was the first for Iknowbetter, a gelding trained by Ashley Ederer. He finished second and third in the first two legs and has now earned $14,550. Ederer co-owns him with Jane Kelly of Langley.

Miss Itunes (Mystery Chase) captured the day’s Fillies and Mares Preferred Handicap, going wire-to-wire in 1:55.2. The Christopher Lancaster-trained mare held off Western Summit (Campbell) by three-quarters-of-a-length with Hotpieceoface (Abbott) closing for third. Miss Itunes has now won three of her last four starts in a row at the Preferred level, improving her lifetime record to 22-for-103 with $226,863 in earnings. Donna Wyse of Rocky View County owns the six-year-old.

MISS ITUNES REPLAY

Fraser Downs will continue action on Thursday, Oct. 26.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink