Favourites Best In Rideau Features
The public choices delivered in both $8,600 Not Listed Preferred Handicap events on Sunday night (Nov. 10) at Rideau Carleton Raceway, with LMC Mass Gem ($4.10) and National Debt ($2.90) delivering in their respective events.
In the featured trot (race five), LMC Mass Gem and Jacques Beaudoin sustained a first-over ascent to collar early pacesetter Pasadena Star (Stephane Pouliot) on the final turn before holding off a late charge from the second-over Revenue Agent (Pascal Berube) by a diminishing head in 1:57.4. Beaudoin co-owns LMC Mass Gem with Maurice Houle, Ronald Charette and Andre Beaudoin. Johanne Begin trains the five-year-old Muscle Mass gelding, who notched his fourth consecutive win in the nation's capital.
The featured pace (race seven) saw National Debt and Pascal Berube sustain a similar uncovered push to the fore up the backstretch before evading Atomic Million AM (Jonathan Lachance) to win by two lengths in 1:53.4 after a dominant 1:54.2 score at Hippoodrome 3R last week. Yves Tessier trains National Debt, an eight-year-old Allamerican Native gelding, for François Morin.
The first annual Michael Schaefer Memorial Pace was contested earlier on in the card (race three), and it was the John MacMillan-trained and Ryan Guy-driven Roczen Hanover ($17.50) that recorded a one and three-quarter-length win in 1:55.4 off of a pocket trip.
Roczen Hanover is owned by 2099551 Ontario Inc. of Greely, Ont. and John Macmillan of Odessa, Ont. The win meant a lot to Glenn Pearson, of 2099551 Ont. Inc., who told Trot Insider “this was a particular sweet win, as we had horses trained and driven by Mike for many years.”
Schaefer, a longtime Standardbred horseman, passed away on Saturday, September 28, just three days after his 74th birthday. For more on Schaefer’s passing, click here.
![](/sites/default/files/MikeSchaefer-ArmbroTopaz-640.jpg)
Mike Schaefer, pictured with Armbro Topaz during his driving days.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click the following link: Sunday Results - Rideau Carleton Raceway.