In the first Brad Gunn elim, Outlaw True Grit (Phil Giesbrecht) used his rail position to forge to the front through a calvary charge of four horses off the gate. That rush left Spikes Revenge (Brandon Campbell) caught on the outside and forced to race first up through a :27.2 opener and :57.1 half. When that bid started to falter, Custards Laststand (Dave Hudon) resumed that pressure while favoured Exit Smiling (Jamie Gray) was poised second over through a 1:25.3 third station. Custards Laststand was able to get to within a quarter of a length at the top of the stretch but no closer as Outlaw True Grit lived up to his name and repelled all rivals for the 1:55.1 lifetime best score.
Exit Smiling rallied off cover to claim second with Custards Laststand and Mortgage My Villa (Nathan Sobey) also advancing to the $50,000 Brad Gunn Final slated for one week from today.
Trained and co-owned by Rod Starkewski along with Clauzette Byckal off Onoway, Alta., Outlaw True Grit sports a 2-1-0 summary from six seasonal starts. Lifetime, the Blue Burner - Gunslingin Gal gelding boasts six wins and more than $76,000 in earnings.
Favoured Cheddar Jack saw much less competition during his gate-to-wire Gunn score. The quickest off the gate from post four, Cheddar Jack and Paul Davies set uncontested fractions of :28.4 and :58.2 before Freedoms Rescue (Dave Kelly) commenced an outer-flow attack down the backside. As the challenger moved to within a length as the third quarter was checked in 1:26.1, Davies gave Cheddar Jack his cue to accelerate. The sophomore responded with a sharp :28 closer to pull away from his competition and hit the wire more than four lengths to the good, stopping the clock in 1:541 and earning a new speed badge in the process.