After competing on the Grand Circuit at two and three and then racing predominantly in Pennsylvania as a four-year-old, stakes winner Blood Money made a statement during the 2021 season opener on Saturday (May 8) at Exhibition Park Raceway.
Now five, Blood Money was purchased at the end of his four-year-old campaign by Dr. Mitch Downey and was slated to start last November for Downey at Charlottetown Driving Park. He was scratched from that outing and thus made his pari-mutuel debut for his new connections during the Saturday lidlifter at Exhibition Park in the $1,600 Winners Over feature.
Starting from the outside post five, Downey hustled Blood Money to the front and eventually cleared to the top over second choice Woodmere Ideal Art (Robert Laffin). After a :29.2 opening panel over the offgoing, none of Blood Money's rivals came to call and thus Downey was able to back down the fractions and steal a middle half of 1:00.2 -- half reached in :59.4 and third quarter of 1:29.4.
Woodmere Ideal Art tried to stay on Downey's helmet around that final turn but Blood Money was much the best, sprinting home in :29.1 to trip the timer three lengths the best in 1:59. Woodmere Ideal Art grabbed place with Montrose Rose (John Davidson) the best of the rest to complete the triactor.
Ellen Stevenson trains Blood Money (Sweet Lou - Blood Diamond) now a 10-time winner in his career with more than $431,000 in purse earnings.
Handle for the five-dash season opener was $6,791, up 33 percent from the $5,034 handle from six-race opening day in 2020. Live harness racing continues at Exhibition Park next Saturday (May 15).
To view the results from the Saturday card, click the following link: Saturday Results - Exhibition Park.