Driven by five-time Friday night winner Brandon Campbell, favourite Mach Steady prevailed off a pocket trip to take the $9,500 Preferred Pace featured on the March 24 card at Fraser Downs.
Mach Steady left from the inside but gave way to the insistent Jewels Dragon into the turn. After the :27.3 first panel, Jewels Dragon took a second-quarter breather with the field following in single-file to the half in :58 before Campbell tipped from the pocket near the 1:26.2 third quarter mark. Mach Steady struck in the stretch and widened to win by two lengths in 1:54.1. Waitin Ona River (Kevin Anderson) finished second over Jewels Dragon (Scott Knight).
Owned and bred by Jennifer Dodsworth and trainer Randy Rutledge, the nine-year-old Mach Three gelding was a winner after being claimed for $20,000 in back-to-back starts and returning to his longtime connections.
A winner of 24 races and more than $215,000 lifetime, Mach Steady picked up his second victory of the year from eight starts to go along with three third-place finishes.
Sent postward as the 4-5 favourite, he returned $3.90 to win.
After a six-win night on Thursday, Campbell continued to dominate in the driver's seat with another five winners on Friday's nine-race card. He also drove Mach Steady's four-year-old Shadow Play brother Shake Shadow N Rol ($2.70) to a 1:55.4 victory for Dodsworth and Rutledge.
Campbell's other wins were with Itll Be Fine ($2.30), who posted the fastest mile of the night in 1:52 flat for the Rick Lancaster stable, and the Jim Marino trainees Tito Santanna ($4.60) and Domi ($3.60).
To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Fraser Downs.
(Photo of Mach Steady winning on March 3)