The popular grey mare Grey Sea and longshot sophomore gelding Son Of A Beach each turned in career-best efforts to win the $25,000 finals of the B.C. Bred Stakes for three and four-year-old pacers on Friday night (April 14) at Fraser Downs.
Grey Sea won the filly and mare stakes event from off-the-pace in 1:55.1 for the father-son, trainer-driver team of Gord and John Abbott.
Play Misty For Me (John Vukelich) pushed ahead of insider Hearts A Racing (David Hudon) off the gate for the early lead while Westcoast Captive (Scott Knight) crossed over from post seven for a brief two-hole tuck through a :27.2 opening quarter. With Grey Sea on the move from fourth in front of the grandstand, Westcoast Captive got the jump on the 1-9 favourite as they headed to the half in :57.3 and went head-to-head with Play Misty For Me on top down the backside. Westcoast Captive eventually cleared but Grey Sea was hot on her heels. She forged on to take command just past three-quarters in 1:26.1 then opened up by more than four lengths down the lane leaving Westcoast Captive to settle for second. Hearts A Racing was the best of the rest, finishing more than 10 lengths behind in third.
Grey Sea, who has finished no worse than second in 10 career starts, paid $2.30 to win as the overwhelming favourite on the betting board. The four-year-old daughter of Custard The Dragon out of the Admirals Galley mare Preference lifted her career earnings to $33,580 for owner/breeder Seaspray Stables Ltd. of Nanaimo, B.C.
Son Of A Beach and driver Allan Molloy rolled to an 11-1 upset victory in 1:54.1 over favourites Domi and Shake Shadow N Rol in the male pacing division for trainer Rod Therres.
Son Of A Beach shot out to a quick lead from post five and paced an opening panel in :26.4 before taking a second quarter breather to the half in :57 flat with the field strung out. He led by two lengths and continued on to three-quarters in 1:24.4 while 3-5 favourite Domi (Brandon Campbell) swept up from the backfield but chased in vain down the stretch as the Therres trainee completed a wire-to-wire victory 1-3/4 lengths in front. Shake Shadow N Rol (John Abbott), the 2-1 second choice, rallied late to finish third.
Son Of A Beach, who finished third in his elimination won by Domi last week, paid $24.50 for the upset. The three-year-old Sunshine Beach-Stonebridge Muse gelding picked up his first win of the season and now sports a record reading 3-1-5 from a dozen starts with earnings totalling $40,645 for owner Wild Dunes Stables of Delta, B.C.
The race was marred by an accident that occurred at the top of the stretch involving Came A Cavalier (Kelly Hoerdt) and Billy Buxton (Robert Scrannage). Both of the pacer's drivers were unseated during the incident. Officials from Fraser Downs reported at the completion of the card that Hoerdt was taken to hospital for further observation.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Fraser Downs.