With Ms Mac N Cheese racing in Cape Breton earlier this week, the Saturday (July 28) feature at Northside Downs was up for grabs and many predicted Boknows Momngranny would thus claim the lion's share of the purse. One rival had other ideas.
A field of six pacers went postward in the $1,200 Winners Over class, presented as the Wendell 'W.J.' Eddy Memorial Pace, with Boknows Momngranny (Greg Sparling) entering the race off of back-to-back runner-up efforts. Sparling pocketed behind an aggressive Brother John (Justin MacKinnon), strongest off the gate from post four. Boknows Momngranny would pop the pocket before the quarter and clear through a :28.3 opener.
The outer flow started just past the three-eighths mark as Accelerator (Mark Pezzarello) was up on the rim and steadily advancing on the leader through a :59.1 half and 1:28.4 third panel. Heading into the final turn, Boknows Momngranny appeared to put away Accelerator as Sparling kept his horse to task. In the stretch, Accelerator would not quit and Pezzarello asked for another gear. Despite being a length and a half off the leader at the head of the lane, Accelerator came back on and collared Boknows Momngranny to win by a charted neck in 1:58.4. Burn Em Up Burr (Gerard Kennedy) closed well off Accelerator's cover to complete the triactor.
Accelerator (second from L) reaches in the Saturday feature at Northside Downs
The win was the second of the season and 11th lifetime for Accelerator (Driven To Win - KG Affair), trained and owned by Robert Blanchard of Howie Center, N.S.
Driver Mark Pezzarello completed a natural hat-trick on the day aboard Accelerator, with his second win of the day aboard Dinger Three in race eight giving him 500 lifetime victories.
For the results from Saturday's card at Northside Downs, click the following link: Saturday Results - Northside Downs.