Bettim Again Defeats MacKenzie Favourites
Bettim Again shot through the passing lane to defeat his top Glamour Boy rivals in the Carl & Marg MacKenzie Memorial Stakes for three-year-old pacers featured on Sunday afternoon (Oct. 24) at Truro Raceway.
Paul Langille scored a stakes double driving Bettim Again in the $15,582 colt division for trainer George Rennison as well as his own trainee Havarti in one of two $7,916 filly splits.
Bettim Again fired out from post four to secure the top spot over 4-5 favourite Rotten Ronnie (Redmond Doucet) with even-money trailer Woodmere Stealdeal (Marc Campbell) on the move from third to take over as they passed the quarter pole in :27.1.
Rotten Ronnie moved first-up at the half while Woodmere Stealdeal continued to lead through middle splits of :55.2 and 1:24.2. However, Bettim Again was loaded with pace in the pocket and he shot up the passing lane to prevail by one length over Woodmere Stealdeal in 1:54.2. Jadensmagicsteel (Adam Merner) tracked the winner at the pylons and edged out Rotten Ronnie for third at odds of 31-1.
Sent postward as the 7-2 third choice, Bettim Again paid $9 to win.
He earned his third straight victory and improved his seasonal summary to 7-1-5 from 18 starts. The Malicious-Bettim Laura gelding, a 10-time winner with $472,996 earned lifetime, is owned by breeder Jeff Lilley of Charlottetown, P.E.I., along with partners Christina Lecky of Summerside, P.E.I., Charlottetown's Blair MacLauchlan, and Ian MacDonald of Lower Sackville, N.S.
The win completed a training triple on the 12-race card for Rennison.
Langille later sent Havarti wire-to-wire in the final filly event, winning in 1:59 flat.
Leaving from post two, Havarti set up shop on the front end, with 2-5 favourite Woodmere Leah (Darren Crowe) protecting her pocket position and leaving 5-2 second choice Elm Grove Penney (Marc Campbell) parked out before that filly backed into third.
Havarti led the way through opening fractions of :28 and :57.4. Woodmere Leah was flushed from the two-hole down the backstretch to three-quarters in 1:29, but Havarti was getting away on the final turn, widening by four lengths into the stretch. At the end, she finished two lengths in front of Woodmere Leah, with Woodmere Stella (Brodie MacPhee) taking third.
Havarti returned $9.90 to win as the 7-2 third choice.
Winless in a pair of freshman starts, the Betterthancheddar-Maiden Heaven filly is now seven-for-13 this year with today's triumph boosting her bankroll to $21,803 for owner Chantel Langille of Truro, N.S.
Mystifying turned back her challengers to win the fastest filly division under no urging as she widened to 2-1/2 lengths at the end of her 1:57.1 mile for trainer/driver Darryl MacLean.
Mystifying, the 1-4 favourite, was immediately pressed by even-money Plain Jane (Marc Campbell) through a :27.2 quarter -- those two well ahead of the rest during their top tussle -- before Plain Jane was relegated to the pocket.
Woodmere Vanish (Paul Langille) then tried it first-up at the :58 half-mile mark to no avail as Mystifying raced on to three-quarters in 1:28.1 and cruised to her 15th career victory. Plain Jane continued to chase the winner home in second while Woodmere Vanish settled for third.
MacLean also shares ownership of Mystifying, who has a dozen wins from 17 starts during her $64,579 sophomore campaign, with Gordon MacLean of Winsloe, P.E.I., and Stephen Downey of Quispamsis, N.B.
The Source Of Pride-Dreaming filly paid $2.60 to win.
Sunday's card was full of action as Time To Dance streaked to his sixth straight victory for trainer/driver Marc Campbell, taking the 2021 edition of the $6,000 Johnny Conroy Memorial Invitational Pace in 1:54.1.
It was go time for Truro track record holder Time To Dance at the :26.4 first quarter, as he moved from third and advanced to the top, clearing the quick-leaving pylon starter Batterup Hanover (Paul Langille) at the half-mile mark in :54.3.
No one could catch the 1-9 favourite once he made front with American Risk (Redmond Doucet) faltering first-up past three-quarters in 1:25.2. Time To Dance cruised home a two-length winner to defend his Conroy title over Batterup Hanover, with Moonwriter (Adam Merner) rounding out the top three. He paid $2.30 to win.
Time To Dance now boasts a dozen wins in his 16-race season with earnings totalling $46,297 for owners Brent Campbell of Charlottetown, P.E.I., and Matthew McDonald of Edwards, Ont. The five-year-old A Rocknroll Dance-Mystical Gypsy gelding notched his 31st career win and bumped his bankroll over $165,000.
Time To Dance wasn't the only horse to continue a win streak on the Sunday card. Trainer Stephen MacLeod's four-year-old pacer Cool Dew, who was left uncovered heading down the backstretch, wore down Mando Fun (Redmond Doucet) to prevail by a half-length in 1:57.3 in a $1,600 conditioned pace for his fifth straight victory. Andrew Campbell was aboard the favoured So Surreal-Dew It Again gelding, who paid $3.30 to win.
The weekly $2,000 Winners Over Pace was won by Johnnywalkerdelux, who rallied widest of all turning for home to score in 1:57 flat, with Rusty Riley (Paul Langille) closing up the inside to finish second ahead of pacesetter Big Engine (Evan Wilson), who was challenged every step of the way through panels of :27.1, :56.3 and 1:26.1.
Trained by Tammy MacKay with her father Emmons in the bike, Johnnywalkerdelux earned his fourth win from 19 starts this year and returned $12.50 for a $2 win ticket. The five-year-old Betterthancheddar gelding, a 17-time career winner, is owned by Emmons Mackay and Paul Smith of Wallace, N.S.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Truro Raceway.