What a wonderfully, amazing afternoon the Hennessys had at Calgary’s Century Downs on a glorious - finally - summer Saturday afternoon.
Driver Mike Hennessy had five wins including elimination legs of the Gord and Illa Rumpel with Terrible Custard ($21.70) and the Ralph Klein with Rockin Buddy ($87.50).
The Rumpel was for three-year-old fillies; the Klein was for three-year-old boys.
Four of those wins were for his dad, veteran trainer Rod.
“A great day,” said Rod, who also had a second (Sam Credit with his son in the bike) on an 11-race card that had 10 stakes races. “A really great day.”
The four wins by Rod tied his personal record for most wins on a card.
Mike, the extremely talented leading driver at Century Downs, has won six wins on a card six times.
Of all of his wins Terrible Custard in the second elimination of the Rumpel was the three-year-old filly that Rod wanted to talk about the most.
“How in the world did the bettors overlook this horse? She won two of her last four starts including an elimination leg of the ABSS Diamond and broke stride and was interfered with in the Diamond Final. In her last race she came home in 27 seconds flat.
“And she paid $21?
“I don’t know what the public was looking at.”
Far back early in the abbreviated five-horse field, Terrible Custard came first over on pace setter and 1-9 favourite Josies Joules, who had shipped in from Ontario, and easily pulled away in the stretch to win in 1:53 3/5 - the fastest mile on the card.
Blue Star Strike took second while Josies Joules unexpectedly tired to finish third. Mystery Shooter finished fourth; Y V Four Roses was fifth.
The top four finishers in the Rumpel and the Klein all advance to this Saturday’s rich Finals and one of the highlights of the meet. The fifth-place finishers in the eliminations of both the Rumpel and Klein will draw for the ninth and final starting spot.
The winners of the Rumpel and Klein eliminations will flip a coin to see who picks which post first on Wednesday. The other posts are drawn at random.
That’s good news for Rockin Buddy, who overcame his eighth post, to post the upset of the card at 42-1 odds in the first elimination of the Klein.
“I’ll get an inside post for sure,” said Mike. “No eight post this weekend.”
“I’ll be picking either first or second. If I get first pick I’ll take the rail. I have to. The two-hole isn’t a terrible post but it’s tougher than most people think.”
Rockin Buddy, trained by Rod Therres, has been plagued by outside posts throughout his first year of racing. He also drew the 8-hole in his last start but overcame that post to win too.
The closest to the rail Rockin Buddy has started from in his eight lifetime races is post four.
The first elimination of the Klein was another perfect drive by Mike.
Launched away from the gate - “He cleared so fast; it kind of surprised me,” said Mike - Rockin Buddy kept 3-to-four race favourite and another Ontario invader Edwin Hanover parked out well through an opening quarter in :27 2/5 and almost all the way to the half-mile pole.
Sitting second Mike made the winning move as three-quarters went in a smart 1:25 1/5. With second favourite Ruler Of Dragons and driver Phil Giesbrech having pulled, Mike took back from Edwin Hanover a bit.
“I backed off of Dave (Edwin Hanover’s driver/trainer Kelly) in case I needed to get on Phil’s back,” said Mike. “But I didn’t need to. I drove up to Phil’s helmet and got out.
“It just worked out perfectly,” said Mike, who went on to win by a length over Edwin Hanover with Outlaw Country On taking third ahead of Ruler Of Dragons. Mayhem N Madness was fifth.
“It was only Rockin Buddy’s eighth start. He’s getting better and better. Rod has done a great job of bringing him along.
“To be honest because of the post I was just hoping to make it to the final.”
With Rockin Buddy paying $87.50 to win and Outlaw Country On finishing third at 27-1 the tote board lit up.
A 60 cent triactor returned $970.56. A $2 exactor paid $250.10. Rockin Buddy’s win also set up a $3,209.45 $1 Pick 4.
Pup was a most impressive winner of the first elimination of the Rumpel pacing in 1:54 3/5 with just a hand drive by trainer/driver and co-owner Jamie Gray.
Sent off at prohibitive odds of 1-9 won like a 1-9 favourite should.
Parked through a first quarter in :28 3/5, Pup never looked back.
Blue Star Aspire was second - by a length and a quarter but never a threat. Chasing The Dragon was third and Rockin Custard won a photo for fourth and an assured spot in the final over Alexia.
The most easy of winners, it was Pup’s sixth win in just seven career starts.
Finally, the second elimination of the Klein turned out to be a match race between Vladdy G and Boletto A Mexico.
They started with Boleto A Mexico on top and Vladdy G right behind and that’s the way they stayed until Vladdy G got up in the final strides.
It was Vladdy G’s third win along with five seconds this year for trainer/driver Logan Gillis.
STOCK REPORT
The Hennessy’s outstanding afternoon gave Mike Hennessy his 1,665 driving wins and Rod Hennessy his 2,319 training win. Rod also won 2,831 races as a driver.
In addition to the eliminations for the Rumpel and Klein there were also six two-year-old stakes.
In the first division of the Rising Star for the boys, Shark Edition - trained by Rod Starkewski and driven by Giesbrecht won by a long neck over Dungannigans in 1:57 2/5.
The second division of the Rising Star went to Forbearance and trainer/driver and co-owner Brandon Campbell in a nifty 1:56 2/5 by a length over Sir Talkalot.
And YV Michters went wire-to-wire in the third division of the Rising Star in 1:57 2/5 for driver Kelly and trainer Starkewski.
There were also three divisions of the Starlet for two-year-old fillies.
Sloppy Monster at 9-5 took the first division with Rod Hennessy training and Mike driving in 1:58 1/5 by a length over 28-1 Myartsdesire.
“Sloppy Monster has trained like a nice horse all the way along,” said Rod, whose dad Owen, used to train.
“We were high on her before she even qualified.”
“She’s got a lot of pedigree to fall back on.”
The Hennessy’s were back at it one race later winning the second division of the Starlet with Blue Star Shania going wire to wire in 1:58 4/5s to win by half a length over favourite Canasta Reflection.
“A lot of quick speed,” Mike said of Blue Star Shania. “She’s from a speed family,” he said of the dam Blue Star Dreaming and sire Captain Deo.
Blue Star Dreaming held the track records at both Century Mile and Century Downs.
“I was looking to let the favourite Captain Tahiti go but she never left so I said ‘Lets go.’”
The third division of the Starlet went to Dixieland Delight, who went wire-to-wire holding off Miss Melanie, who came from far back, to just miss by a long nose.
Winner of the Emerald Stakes two weeks ago, Dixieland Delight was the 1-4 favourite; Miss Melanie was 25-1.
Harold Haining trained and James Jungquist did the driving in a race that went in 1:59 1/5.
The Finals of the Klein and Rumpel go this Saturday at Century Downs with a first post of 12:45.
At Century Mile on Saturday filly Centella, who had been working like a real good horse led throughout to win the $50,000 Kindergarten stakes for two-year-olds.
Centella is now two-for-two after impressively breaking her maiden on July 17.