HORSE RACING-Balgobin lands feature; Prescod, Nelson also star

EDMONTON, Alberta, CMC – Keishan Balgobin paired with 11-1 outsider Echo Creek to win the feature CAN$50 000 Alberta Sire Debutante Stakes. Still, the Trinidadian was forced to share honors with Jamaican Dane Nelson and Barbadian N’Rico Prescod, who produced braces on Friday’s 10-race card.

Going 6-½ furlongs in race seven, the 33-year-old Balgobin brought the dark bay filly from off the pace to beat the three-year-olds by 1-¾ lengths in a time of one minute, 18:13 seconds.

Jamaican Andre Martin took second aboard the race’s longest shot, 36-1 Brynn’s Dream, while favorite Monopolize narrowly finished in third with Mauricio Malvaez.

Three-to-one choice Fastestgirlintown showed early, along with 2-1 chance Singing Bell, while Echo Creek lingered near the rear through the first quarter.

Singing Bell picked up the running to be nearly two lengths clear at the half-mile, but Balgoblin closed quickly with Echo Creek, chasing down the leader to hit the front in the stretch and pull away.

Nelson had earlier raised the curtain on the day’s program when he combined with a 4-1 chance Run Rossco Run to trounce the three-year-old and upward maidens by five lengths in a gate-to-wire effort in a six-furlong sprint.

He returned in race three over six furlongs to complete the brace, guiding 3-1 bet Glava to a three-length score over the three-year-olds and upward.

His ride was a stalking one, tracking pacesetter and favorite Bon Prix from second before rousing the four-year-old bay gelding to take the lead entering the stretch.

Prescod, meanwhile, opened his account in a five-furlong sprint in race two, bringing 9-1 bet Golden Fortynine from a stalking position to reel in front-runner Within Reason at the top of the stretch, and beat the three-year-old and upward maiden fillies and mares by 1-¼ lengths.

The 24-year-old then tasted success in the day’s penultimate race when he steered 7-1 chance Mucho Magic to victory by a length over the three-year-olds and upward, going six furlongs.

The Century Mile season began on May 6 and wrapped on September 1.