10 SET FOR MISS VALENTINE 

For the first time in many years there could be a field of 10 in a race at Fraser Downs.

Ten mares have nominated for the qualifying leg of the Miss Valentine Pace on Sunday at the Downs.

If all nominees get in behind the gate at post time, there will be eight on the gate and two (2) trailers. Because the race is for older horses (in this case four-year-old mares), the race secretary can opt for one heat of 10 starters rather than two of five.

The field was bumped to 10 when Jarm Investments, owners of top class mare Furious Five, supplemented paid a $2,000 fee to be entered in the race. The Serge Masse-trained pacer, who was has been idle since being injured in her last start in late 2006, has won more than $95,000 in her last five starts.

Other main contenders are the Dave Hudon trained Sweetypea, an impressive winner at the Downs last week, Penny Bath Memorial stakes winner, A Midnight Promise, trained by Barry Treen and the Wally Slopianka-trained Complete Game.

There will only be one leg of the Miss Valentine with the top five automatically going into next Sunday’s (Feb 11) $25,000 final. The remaining qualifiers will go into a draw for the final four places.

The other nominees for this Sunday are: Silvery Belle, Drinks White, Shesabombshell, Leah Yankee, True Blonde and Intrepid Kate.  

LOOKING GOOD: Armbro Blacktie is off to a fine start in 2007.

The six-year-old gelded son of Camluck, came from off the pace to win the open event (along with $35,000 claimers) at the Downs last Sunday.

Despite starting on the inside with his $35,000 tag, Blacktie fell to fifth early in the field of seven and was still there at the half (5½ lengths back). Driver/trainer Jim Marino went first up with Blacktie and they evenly worked their way up the backstretch to sit second outside at the three-quarter pole.

They battled 6-5 favorite Red Star Senator around the final turn and then pulled away in the stretch to win by 2½ lengths in 1:56. Senator, who was assigned the outside seven post but rushed to the lead early, had to settle for second after winning his previous two starts. Active Pass, at 17-1, was third.

Armbro Blacktie, who is owned by Herb Boggs and Jerry Blanchet, has a 4-2-1-1 record this year. He has earned almost $16,000 for the year and more than $196,000 in his career.

Senator has four wins and three seconds in seven starts since returning from Ontario. 

THE DAVIS SECTION: Last weekend’s time off determined by awful weather leading to unsafe track conditions didn’t force Bill Davis to need some more time to get back on the beam.

Davis, as he has done every week in 2007, led the way in both driver and trainer wins last weekend.

Davis picked up eight driving victories over the three days and now has 26 in 2007, well ahead of Jim Marino and Scott Knight who are next at 12. Marino and Knight each had four wins last weekend while Gord Abbott had three and Jim Burke and Serge Masse two apiece.

Davis’s six-pack was also tops for all trainers. He now has 19 since the start of the year while Erik Neyhart is next at eight. Neyhart was among a long list at two wins last weekend including Mike Glover, Knight, Steve Germain, Diana Davie and Wally Slopianka. 

WEEK'S BEST: It didn’t take long for Red Star Soprano to get back on a winning note.

The six-year-old son of Barnett Hanover hit a sour note and had his eight-race winning streak broken in his previous start (he finished second). But last Friday he was in tune, winning impressively again.

Trained and driven by Bill Davis for owner Niele Jiwan, Soprano, who won 12 times in 2006, now has 22 lifetime wins and more than $122,000 in career earnings.

Soprano, racing as a $20,000 claimer, covered the mile in 1:56.2 on a track rated good, off two seconds, and won by 5¼ lengths.

Hurricane Pat, a five-year-old daughter of Falcons Future, won her second in a row, and seventh in her last 11 starts, for trainer Davis.

Girlfriend Hall, a five-year-old daughter of Blissfull Hall, made it two straight victories for trainer Steve Germain.

I The Undersigned, who won 12 times in 2006, made it two consecutive triumphs in 2007. The eight-year-old daughter of ThatllBeMe is also trained by Germain.

Primos Wonder, an eight-year-old son of Run The Table, captured his second in a row for Davis.

We Winnie Winston, a five-year-old son of Usher Hanover, rolled to his second win in succession for trainer Heather Sifert.

Dal Reo Millee, trained by Davis, raced to the 20th victory of her career and pushed her career earnings to more than $123,000.

Dontgimmethejazz (h 4 Intrepid Seelster) registered the fifth win of his career in a new life mark of 1:58.2 for trainer Brent Hill; Straighttotheheart (h 5 Straight Path) dropped his career best clocking to 2:00.4 for trainer Diana Davie; Prairie Astro (m 4 Astreos) rolled to a new life best in 2:00.2 for trainer Rod Therres; Genuine Ellie Mae (m 5 Usher Hanover) picked up a best career time in covering the mile in 2:00.1 for trainer Erik Neyhart; Arctic Storm (g 5 Dole Hanover) raced to a new life mark of 1:56.4 for trainer Wally Slopianka and Tahuya Burner (g 4 Kents On Nuke) lowered his life best (two weeks after doing the same) to 2:01 for trainer Neyhart.
 

GOODEY FOR HER: The gals continued to look good as Ronnie Goodey captured week four honors in the California Dreamin’ handicapping contest at Fraser Downs.

Goodey ran up winnings of $876 for a comfortable margin over runner-up Jim Egilson who had $759.

Gordon Cruikshank was third at $668 followed by Cory Pageot $650, Ed McAvoy $620 and Pete Day $504.

Goodey joins previous week’s winner Sarah Day, Ray Hall and David Porter in the contest final.

The contest will run for nine weeks and each weekly winner will compete in the final on March 3 to try to win a trip to the Santa Anita Derby on April 7.

Contestants are allowed to pick any three races using races 3-8 on the designated Saturday cards from Santa Anita Racetrack. Each selection will have a mythical $20 across the board wager on it. The person with the most money from his/her three races will be off to the final. Prices will be capped at $42 for a win, $22 for a second and $12 for a third. Each weekly winner will receive $100 as a prize.

The final this year has a slight twist. Each of the nine finalists will have a live bankroll of $180 to wager. Six races from Santa Anita will be selected and each contestant must place a $10 across the board wager on each of the races. The twist: if a contestant makes money for the day, regardless if he or she is grand champion, they get to keep their proceeds.

Entry ballots will be available starting at 10 on Friday morning and must be handed in before the start of the second race at Santa Anita. Only one entry per person is allowed.