Favourites Neon Lights and National Debt overcame their post eight assignments in the $12,200 Preferred Handicaps to land back in the winner's circle at Rideau Carleton Raceway on Sunday night (September 2).

Neon Lights earned his third straight win in the top trot after unleashing a :28.3 final quarter to sweep from eighth to first and stop the clock in 1:56.2.

Paired with regular reinsman Jonathan Lachance, the four-year-old Chapter Seven gelding only had the early breaker beat before he followed a pair of horses three-wide into the final turn and prevailed by one and a quarter length over Pasadena Star, who had taken command past the :27.4 quarter mark and put up middle splits of :57.2 and 1:26.3. After leading that outer flow, Majestic Kat continued to gain ground down the stretch and Flying Isa N dropped inside to make it a photo finish for show with the latter edging out the former for third money.

Neon Lights is trained by Gerard Demers and owned by La Ferme Tag Inc.

National Debt doubled up in the Preferred for pacers with Pascal Berube engineering the 1:53.3 triumph for trainer Yves Tessier and owner Francois Morin.

Berube floated National Debt from the gate avoiding an early front-end duel that The Roadies won over Bestofbest Hanover and Atomic Million Am. Parked through the :27.1 first quarter, National Debt progressed to the lead, clearing to command as the field moved into the backstretch. The seven-year-old Allamerican Native gelding reached the half in :56 and remained unchallenged on top past three-quarters in 1:24.3 before widening his leading margin to three and a half lengths down the lane with Undrafted coming on for second and Atomic Million Am finishing third.

Neon Lights and National Debt have each won nine races this season.

To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Rideau Carleton Raceway.