Nathan Bain opened his lead to 44 points in the $500 Hiawatha Horse Park Handicapping Challenge, outscoring rival Nicholas “Ace” Barnsdale 83 points to 56 in Saturday (July 10) action at the Sarnia oval.

Consistency was the key for Bain, earning points in 11 of the first 12 races of the day. He failed to pick up points only in the finale when his pick, Tylers Beach Boy, finished out of the money. Bain’s Best Bet, Nebraska Jack, got him a five-point bonus by winning the Racing Under Saddle event in a sharp time of 2:01.2 as the 2/5 favourite for rider Karen Nielsen.

Barnsdale hit for three winners on the card while Bain clicked with five of his dozen top choices. Bain leads the overall standings with 290 points to Barnsdale’s 256. There are 10 race days remaining in the meet, plenty of time for Barnsdale to make a race of it.

The contest – for which the $300 first prize and $200 second prize is supplied by Hiawatha Horse Park – runs every Saturday and concludes when the last race is run on closing day, Sept. 18. Follow Bain's (@NBainracing) and Barnsdale's (@AceBarnsdale) weekly Hiawatha selections on Twitter every Saturday afternoon. Barnsdale's selections also appear on the Ontario Racing "Tips from the Pros" page. Try your luck as well: Hiawatha Horse Park is available for online wagering via Horseplayer Interactive and other ADWs.

(USHWA Canada)