The battle to determine who will win the overall trainer's title at this year's Calgary harness racing meet will go down to tomorrow's final day of racing.
Jamie Gray and Keith Clark are neck-and-neck, each having 42 wins going into last night's posts.
While Clark has been in this position countless times, for Gray, this is a whole new experience. He has never been in a position to capture a trainer's title in Alberta, although he has won them racing in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
"It's not a goal I necessarily pursue every meet but, the last three weeks, it has crossed my mind here because I'm in the hunt," said Gray.
"I just try to have my horses ready and I put them in races where I think they have a chance. This meet, every horse I have has pulled its weight. There have been no freeloaders."
Gray has built his success thanks mainly to his astute claiming. Big Shoes to Fill was claimed from Clark for $20,000 and has made $93,000.
Jiffy Freeze has won four in a row for Gray. Pirate Hall won six races before he was claimed from Gray and Armbro Bach won more than $50,000 in less than five months since he was acquired.
"I know Keith won't let me have anything easy and I won't let him get it easy either, so this will be a race," adds Gray.
"Winning the trainer's title means you've had a real good meet. It's another incentive to drive a guy to do well."
Gray believes he must win at least four races this weekend to have a legitimate shot at the title.
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VICTORY LAPS FOR CHAPPELL: The driver's title for the Calgary meet is a foregone conclusion.
John Chappell heads into the final weekend with 63 wins in 334 starts, nine victories ahead of Keith Clark and 17 up on Bill Tainsh Jr. This will mark Chappell's second driver's title in Calgary.
"Keith really can't catch me now," said Chappell. "He'd have to win 10 races in two days and I'd have to be shutout.
"It's pretty high odds."
Chappell earns most of his wins as a catch-driver working for other trainers.
His barn is comprised mostly of low claimers, so it rarely affects his opportunities to drive quality horses in the big races for other people.
That may change next year. Chappell has a pair of good two-year-old colts that have stood out this fall. Muldoon won three of seven starts since August and earned nearly $50,000. The bay As Promised offspring also captured the final stake race of the season in Calgary, winning the Harvest Gold second division last Sunday.
Chappell also has H H Bullet, another As Promised colt bought at the same time as Muldoon from the same owner.
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STARKEWSKI A STAR-MAKER: Rod Starkewski is training another of the potential star Alberta bred three-year-olds for next year.
Skip to my MJJZ won four of nine races this fall, earning almost $50,000. He also won the first division of the Harvest Gold stake last weekend.
"He's all game with plenty of desire to go," said Starkewski. "I've taken care not to abuse him by over-racing him as a two-year-old. He's looking very promising for his three-year old campaign."
Starkewski has only had one quality three-year-old stake horse in the past and that was Taken It Further, who raced in the 2000 Nat Christie.
"Taken It Further was good but he never ever showed the times Skip has put in as a two-year-old," he said
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FINISH LINE: The Stampede Park harness race meet ends tomorrow.
The standardbreds will then head to Northlands Park in Edmonton for another 16 dates of racing Nov. 18 to Dec. 17.
The Alberta Mixed Standardbred sale is scheduled for Dec. 4 in Edmonton.
