Millbank Exactor For Marino

Published: October 29, 2020 12:29 am EDT

Jim Marino trainees swept the top two spots in Wednesday's (Oct. 28) $20,000 Betty Millbank Memorial preliminary at Fraser Downs, but this time around, Custard Smoothie ($8.00) was able to step out of her previously undefeated stablemate's shadow.

If Only Id Known (Brandon Campbell), who was dispatched the twos-on favourite after capturing the first three races of her young career, was strung out early by Crush Me (Kelly Hoerdt) before clearing at the end of a sharp :27.1 first quarter. After rating a :59 middle half, If Only Id Known found herself in the crosshairs of her stablemate Custard Smoothie, whom Scott Knight angled first-over from third on approach to the far turn.

Custard Smoothie wrested command from If Only Id Known just upon cornering for home, and she edged away to win by 1-3/4 lengths in 1:55. Crush Me finished third in the race that established a new track standard for three-year-old pacing fillies. The former record was 1:55.1, set by The Blue Yak in 2018.

Custard Smoothie, a two-year-old daughter of Custard The Dragon and Artists Rendition, has now won four of her eight career starts for Marino and the J J J Stables. The Millbank win was the cornerstone of a five-win evening for Knight, as well as a training hat trick for Marino. Kelly Hoerdt's trainees also accounted for three wins on the 12-race card.

In the sub-featured $7,600 distaff pacing event, Paperback Thriller ($4.10) ran her current winning streak to three by spurning a mid-race challenge from Rockin Mystery and evading eventual runner-up Cusdmagicdragon by 1-3/4 lengths to win in 1:52.4. Trainer Brandon Campbell also drove the five-year-old Mystery Chase mare for owner Raymond Henry.

To view Wednesday's complete results, click the following link: Wednesday Results – Fraser Downs.

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