Faced with a second-tier starting spot and the challenge of track record-setting Bettim Again, Woodmere Stealdeal wasn't intimidated and confidently stretched his career unbeaten streak to nine with a swift victory in the $10,540 Nova Scotia Stake on Saturday (Sept. 19) at Northside Downs.
Driver Marc Campbell confidently stick-handled his way to the lead ahead of Bettim Again (Clare MacDonald) early and played catch-me-if-you-can with his six rivals. The end result of that challenge was the same as the previous eight attempts to defeat Woodmere Stealdeal: unsuccessful. After fractions of :29.1, :59.3 and 1:29.2, Woodmere Stealdeal powered home through a :27.3 final stanza to win in 1:57 en route to his ninth straight winner's circle appearance. Bettim Again was a length and a half back in second with Hotlikewasabi (Richie Baryluk) completing the triactor.
Trained by Danny Romo for Kevin Dorey of Middle Sackville and Bob Sumarah of Halifax, N.S., Woodmere Stealdeal (Steelhead Hanover - Very Ideal Hanover) now boasts more than $40,000 in his rookie bankroll.
A pair of $9,620 Atlantic Sires Stakes divisions were contested earlier on the card, with both winners employing gate-to-wire tactics.
Little Miss Ava made every call a winning one en route to her first ATSS victory of the year. Driver Myles Heffernan Sr. engineered the winning trip, a five-and-a-quarter length score over Somebodys Me (Mark Pezzarello) and Woodmere Vanish (Paul Langille) in 1:59.2.
The win was the third in nine rookie starts for Little Miss Ava (Hilarious Halo - Undine Hanover), owned by Jackie Heffernan of Glace Bay, N.S. and trained by Myles Heffernan Jr. The wins lifts the filly's earnings to $19,468.
Tobins Brownie and driver David Dowling had to work a little harder to make the lead in their ATSS split, parked three-wide through the opening :29.2 quarter, but it was smooth sailing after landing on the lead. After middle panels of :58.4 and 1:29.3, Tobins Brownie sprinted away from her rivals with a :28.4 closer to trip the timer nearly eight lengths the best in 1:58.2. The Real Mccoy (Marc Campbell) and Elm Grove Penney (Paul Langille) completed the top three.
Jonah Moase trains Tobins Brownie for James Quinn of York, Carl Peterson of Hunter River and Amy Katherine Lakie of Montague, P.E.I. The Stonebridge Terror - Putname Mackenzie miss sports a solid freshman summary of 5-2-0 in nine starts with $23,141 in earnings.
Neal Moase's Best To Hurst made the most of a rare appearance in Cape Breton, repelling all rivals in the $1,600 Winners Over Pace with a wire-to-wire score in 1:57.2 over Sly Baran (Heffernan) and Runaway Mystery (Harold Leblanc Jr.). The win was the fourth of the season for the seven-year-old Cambest - Pinehurst Lady gelding, who now boasts 27 career victories and more than $170,000. in earnings.
The win was the third on the card for driver David Dowling and trainer Jonah Moase, also finding the winner's circle courtesy eighth race winner Dragon Teeth.
To view the results from the Saturday card at Northside, click the following link: Saturday Results - Northside Downs.