It took a career-best performance of 1:58.2 from Road Tripper to pull off a mild upset in Saturday’s $14,000 final of the Sharpes Feed Series for horse and gelding trotters at Georgian Downs.
With Anthony MacDonald at the controls, Road Tripper was allowed to settle away fourth while Takter and Say You Do battled to the quarter pole in :28.3. Takter worked his way to the lead and wound up slicing out middle panels of :58.2 and 1:28.3. Road Tripper popped off the rail and rode cover from second over as the field headed into the closing quarter, and his :29.3 kicker was enough to win by a pair of lengths over Say You Do. Southwind Venom came first over and finished third.
Kevin McMaster trains the three-year-old son of Holiday Road-Warrawee Kava for Thestable Roadtripper GRP of Guelph, Ont. It was a maiden-breaking score for the career winner of $15,176.
Thee Desperado notched a second straight win at Georgian Downs thanks to his handy triumph in the $8,500 Preferred 3 for trotters.
Colin Kelly had the gelding parked and pressing Honor Above All at the quarter pole in :28.1 before working to the lead and laying down middle fractions of :58 and 1:27.1. A :30-second closing quarter was more than enough for the gelding to win in 1:57.1 over Rufas De Vie and Honor Above All.
Sent off as the 3-2 favourite, the five-year-old son of Manofmanymissions-Front Porch Swing improved his 2018 record to 6-0-1 from 19 trips to the track in 2018. The 15-time winner has banked just shy of $95,000 to date.
To view results for Saturday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Saturday Results – Georgian Downs.