BETTERFROMBEHIND WINS
MISS VALENTINE
If any others in the harness racing
business were hoping that Betterfrombehind would be slowing
down soon . . . sorry.
The fine four-year-old daughter of
Kents On Nuke, who has dominated stakes races at Fraser
Downs for two years, started 2006 in the same fashion. She
overpowered a field of six last Sunday to capture the
$37,950 Miss Valentine Pace in her first race of the year.
Betterfrombehind won eight of her 15
starts last season while earning $176,715 for trainer Alan
Anderson who co-owns with brother Mark Anderson of
California and J J J Stables of Aldergrove.
As a two-year-old, Betterfrombehind won
all of her seven starts and more than $64,000 and shared
honors as tops in B.C. for her age.
Betterfrombehind, making her first
start since winning the B.C. Sales Stake on Dec.11, was an
impressive gate-to-wire winner.
With Bill Davis again in the sulky,
Betterfrombehind rushed to the front from her four spot on
the gate and got stronger as the race progressed. She
covered the mile in 1:54.4, just a tick off her lifetime
best. The margin of victory for the 1-2 favorite was six
lengths.
Concrete Angel was fourth through much
of the race but rallied to be best of the others. Jimmy Jams
Jubilee, the 7-2 second choice who beat Betterfrombehind in
the Sales Stake, sat in the two hole but was no match Sunday
and finished third.
Rounding out the finish order were
Millbanks Arrow, Alldressedinvelvet, Red Star Ginny and
Cameezy.
Despite not racing for two months,
Davis felt the mare was ready to go.
“She was good and tight after
qualifiers at Cal-Expo,” Davis told Dan Jukich after the
race. “(Trainer) Al has done a good job.”
Betterfrombehind raced in three
qualifiers, including the most recent a win in 1:56.3, at
Cal-Ex.
“She likes to keep racing, otherwise
she’s a little on the lazy side,” Davis added. “She would
have had to race the fillies and mares open down there, so
that's why they decided to keep qualifying her. She was
really good today."
Betterfrombehind will hang around
Fraser Downs and compete next in the Miss Cloverdale stake.
Eleven horses were nominated for the $30,000-plus but nine
or fewer were entered.
That means there will be no
eliminations this Saturday with the combatants headed
straight to the Feb. 25 final.
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