Manvers Short Cut turned in an impressive mile during the Saturday night card at Sudbury Downs as she lowered the track record for aged pacing mares with a 1:55.3 spin around the Chelmsford, Ont. half-mile oval.
Stephane Bardier sent the popular Manvers Short Cut first over from fourth after the :27-second opening quarter in her eighth race conditioning assignment and applied pressure to the leading Aloha Christian N and Mike MacNeill through middle splits of :57 and 1:26.1 before drawing off by more than three lengths for her 25th career victory. Threestepstoheaven and Justin Turcotte finished second while CMR Bresha and Gerry Belanger rounded out the top three.
The time of the mile lowered Vegas Girl's former track record by two-fifths of a second.
Manvers Short Cut paid $3.10 to win as the 1-2 favourite. The five-year-old Astreos mare was claimed by Sylvie Belanger of Azilda, Ont. for $12,500 on May 9 at Sudbury Downs and joined the James Belanger stable. The win was her first for her new connections and eighth in 20 starts this year. She has earned $41,087 of her $182,284 bankroll in 2012.
Red Leaf Morgan closed out the nine-race card with an upset victory in the $23,600 Pot O Gold Claiming Series Final. The newly formatted series, which consisted of just one elimination round and a final this year, is for $5,000 claiming pacers.
Fresh off a win in his elimination, Red Leaf Morgan and trainer-driver Jeff Nowoselsky went from last to first in the final quarter to score in 1:57.1. The eight-year-old son of Artist Stena, owned by Sudbury's Paula Pidutti, edged out the popular pacesetter Hidden Hall and Richard Baker for the half-length victory while Gamin Blanco and Gerry Belanger finished one length back in third.
Red Leaf Morgan paid $25.10 to win as the second longest shot on the board. The victory was his third (consecutive) in seven seasonal starts and 20th lifetime. His bankroll climbed to $143,538 with his winning share of the purse.
Mancasso, a third place finisher in last year's final, matched Red Lead Morgan's 1:57.1 win mark off a pocket trip in the $8,000 consolation. The six-year-old Artsplace gelding was driven to victory by Jason Ryan for trainer Meighan MacLennan and owner John Rodriguez of Hanmer, Ont. The 7-1 second choice paid $16.30 to win.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Sudbury Downs.