Trainer/driver J.F. Gagne's homebred Ernesto Delacruz turned in a career-best performance as he went from last to first in the $12,000 Preferred 2 Handicap Pace featured on Friday evening at Century Downs.

A runner-up in the top Preferred last Saturday, Ernesto Delacruz was assigned the outside post and trailed this field by more than 10 lengths early on. But Gagne followed cover after the quarter and down the backstretch then sent Ernesto Delacruz three-wide off the final turn to reel in the pacesetting Sunshine Boy (:27, :55.1, 1:23.2) and win by a widening two lengths in a new lifetime mark of 1:52.3. Sunshine Boy (Brandon Campbell) held on for second over the first-up Samba Beat (Phil Giesbrecht).

Sent off at odds of 5-2, Ernesto Delacruz paid $7.80 to win.

The four-year-old Vertical Horizon-Camifasolasi Do gelding, who is now two-for-seven this year, boasts a career record reading 13-6-4 from 31 starts with earnings totalling $242,293.

To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Century Downs.