Grey Horizon (Vertical Horizon) achieved the most significant harness racing victory of his career by winning the $90,000 Moore’s Mile Breeders’ Stake for three-year-old males on Saturday, June 15, at Century Downs.
Driver Brandon Campbell, aiming for his sixth win of the day, expertly positioned Grey Horizon in the pocket behind Rum N Custard (Kelly Hoerdt) for the majority of the race. As they approached the final turn, Campbell pulled Grey Horizon out from behind the leader, and the colt surged ahead with an explosive move. Grey Horizon swiftly passed Rum N Custard and stretched his lead to an impressive nine lengths, crossing the finish line in 1:53.2. Rum N Custard held on for second, while Nevada Dragon (Phil Giesbrecht) finished third.
The victory marked a new career-best time for Grey Horizon, who now boasts seven wins in 13 lifetime starts and has accumulated $144,550 in earnings. This season, he has won two of his five starts, though one of his losses was due to a disqualification to second in his elimination race. Campbell, who also trains Grey Horizon, has guided the colt to multiple stakes victories as a two-year-old for owners Jodi Loftus, Raymond Henry, and George Rogers.
In the sister stake, the $118,000 Shirley McClellan Breeders’ Stake for three-year-old fillies, Byby Baby Byby (Vertical Horizon) emerged victorious. Driven by Mike Hennessy, she came out of the pocket in the stretch to surpass the odds-on favourite, Outlawguns N Roses (Dave Kelly), and win by a length in 1:54.1. Foothills Magic (Phil Giesbrecht) finished third, five lengths behind.
This was Byby Baby Byby’s first win of the season in four starts, trained by Rodney Hennessy. The homebred filly, owned by Bryan Brook and Diane Hennessy, had previously won the Alberta Sires Stakes Super Final as a two-year-old. She has now earned $148,160 with five victories in 11 career outings.
Among Brandon Campbell’s six victories on the day was a win in the Fillies and Mares Preferred with Stash The Cookies (Sunfire Blue Chip). The eight-year-old mare led wire-to-wire, finishing in 1:55.4 for her second win in three races this year. John Chappell trains Stash The Cookies for owner Derek Gilbert.