The coveted rail position is a horse’s best friend on a half-mile track, and that certainly was the case for Yankee Osborne who used the rail to perfection en route to capturing Saturday’s $7,500 Lindsay Construction Cup Invitational at Truro Raceway.
With Neil MacInnis at the controls, Yankee Osborne drilled his way to the early lead and simply never looked back in the seven-horse affair. The gelding sped through fractions of :28, :56 and 1:24.1 before kicking home in :27.4 to win by a length over Simple Kinda Man in 1:52 – the fastest mile in the history of Truro Raceway. Rose Run Quest rallied to grab third prize.
Ross MacInnis trains the 18-time winner who now boasts a 6-2-1 record from 14 trips to the track this season. Sara Jane Stables of Mono, Ont. owns the five-year-old son of Yankee Cruiser-Osbornes Gypsy who pushed his overall cash stash to $136,259 with the win.
Sodwana Bay had some traffic to deal with for most of the mile in the $6,039 Atlantic Aged Mares Pacing Series, but when trainer/driver Gilles Barrieau asked her to go to work she complied and rallied for a thrilling victory in a track record clocking of 1:54.4.
The seven-year-old daughter of No Pan Intended-Paradise Cove got away sixth in the eight-mare affair, and she wound up stalking cover from third over through the middle stages of the contest. Race favourite Dreamfair Zenfire laid down fractions of :27.2, :56.3 and 1:25 before running out of steam. Sodwana Bay continued to size them up from the backfield before charging home in :28.4 to win by three-quarters of a length over Misty Memory N. Woodmere Chella was third.
Sent off at odds of 5-1, Sodwana Bay registered the 37th victory of her career for owners Wayne MacRae of Fall River, NS and Howmac Farms Ltd of North Wiltshire, PE. She’s banked over $217,000 in her career. The time of the mile shaved one-fifth of a second off the former track standard set by Abby Best nearly 11 years ago.
Tobins Rebel held on bravely to win the first of three $6,800 ‘A’ divisions of the ATSS for three-year-old colt and gelding pacers.
Trainer/driver Gilles Barrieau had him parked past the opening quarter of :27.3, but the pacer cleared and then carved out middle panels of :57.1 and 1:26.4. He fired home in :28.3 to win by a nose over Windemere Frank in 1:55.2. Taking home third prize was The Big Chase.
Sent off as the 1-2 choice, the son of Camystic-Eggs Panedict won for the third time this season from five assignments. It was the ninth lifetime score for the career winner of $45,135. He is owned by Daniel Ross of Belfast, PE.
Windemere Ryan went to the front and didn’t look back in the second division for the duo of driver Adam Merner and trainer Melissa Rennie.
Merner hustled the son of Malicious-Rhondas Belle to the lead from Post 5 and together they led the group through fractions of :28.2, :57.2 and 1:26 before kicking home in :29 to win by 2-3/4 lengths over Mall Cop in 1:55. Woodmere Rollex rounded out the top three finishers.
High Five Racing Stable of Stanhope, PE owns the gelding who owns a 3-1-0 record in his first four starts of the season. The 10-time winner has banked over $53,000 to date.
Mr Kelly used a big move late in the mile to propel himself to the lead, and he went on to cruise to a blowout victory in the final division for the combination of driver Adam Merner and trainer Melissa Rennie.
Merner got away fourth with the son of Rollwithitharry-Yankee Checkrs, and that left front-end duties to Overbearing through panels of :28, :58 and 1:26.4. Windemere Albert came first over on the way to the three-quarter pole, and Merner swept up three-wide at that point and simply powered past the leaders. Mr Kelly used a :27.2 kicker to win by 8-3/4 lengths over Harry G. Windemere Albert took home third prize.
As the even-money favourite, Mr Kelly won for the third time this season five attempts for owners Marsha Knox and Kyla MacDonald and Wade MacDonald. The five-time winner pushed his lifetime earnings to $26,110 with the win.
Egamer recovered from an early miscue to take the first of two $2,500 ‘B’ divisions of the ATSS for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings.
Marc Campbell hustled the son of Camystic-Promise Me Hanover to the lead from Post 2, but the gelding made a break in the early stages of the mile. He regained his stride and went on to successfully post panels of :28.2, :58 and 1:28 before using a :29.3 kicker to win by 1-1/2 lengths over race favourite Notyourtypicalman in a career-best clocking of 1:57.3. Rest Assured was third.
Trainer Garth Cole co-owns the pacer, who won for the first time this season and for the third time in his career, with Hailey Cole of Kensington, PE.
Nothing To Prove took the second division in rallying fashion for the tandem of driver Marc Campbell and trainer Danny Romo.
Howmac Napoleon whacked out fractions of :28.2, :57.4 and 1:27.2, but he couldn’t seal the deal. Nothing To Prove wheeled first over on the way to the half, and he kept steady pressure on the leader. He used a :30.2 closing quarter to win by a nose over Howmac Napoleon in 1:58. Eastcoast Invader was third.
Sent off as the 2-5 favourite, the son of Proven Lover-Shark Like Lady improved his 2020 record to 2-2-1 from seven tries. The four-time winner has banked over $13,000 to date for owners Robert Sumarah and Kevin Dorey.
To view results for Saturday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Saturday Results – Truro Raceway.