The Mark Austin Memorial Pacing Series continued with the second round on Sunday, June 9 at Dresden Raceway with Premier Elsa and Write About Now repeating in their respective $5,000 filly and colt divisions.

Driven by four-time Sunday winner Nick Steward, Premier Elsa led the field of filly pacers through fractions of :31, 1:03.3 and 1:33.3 with  her margin widening to five as she turned for home then cruised to the wire in 2:02.3. Into Go was the only filly able to keep pace with the winner as she closed within a length at the finish. Noclothesnoproblem rounded out the top three, finishing 10 lengths in arrears.

Coming off a victory in the first preliminary leg of the series last week, Premier Elsa was the heavy 1-2 favourite and returned $3 to win. The three-year-old McWicked-Premier Indigo filly, who has won three (consecutive) races from 10 starts, is trained by Darryl Laver for owner Rick Rier of Hanover, Ont.

The opening leg winners of the colt division clashed in round two with trainer Bill Hamm's homebred Write About Now (pictured above) wearing down pacesetter Ashers Basher after fractions of :30.1, 1:01.4 and 1:31.1. Don Rankin Jr. drove the winning Sportswriter-Cant Stop gelding, who stalked from third until the final quarter and finished two lengths in front at the wire in 2:00.3. Larjon Levi closed from the backfield for third.

Favoured at 2-5 odds, Write About Now paid $2.80 to win. Bill Hamm shares ownership of the three-year-old gelding, who has won half of his six starts, with Tom Hamm of Strathroy, Ont.

There were two second leg prelims for the male pacers, with first-time winner Rise N Grind taking the other split in 2:02.3 in rein to Andy Moore for trainer Jamie Doig and local owner and breeder Thomas Macko. 

The three-year-old Up The Credit-Youre Likeadream colt journeyed first-over with a lap to go and when pacesetter Tea Toddler Dot (:30.1, 1:03, 1:32) broke stride in the final turn, Rise N Grind battled Officer Cheese off his cover to win his 12th career start by half a length. Sent postward as the 7-2 second choice, Rise N Grind paid $4.90 to win with favoured Allstar Playboy finishing 3-1/4 lengths behind in third after recovering from a break of his own at the start of the race.

The Austin Memorial Series is for pacers that were non-winners of one pari-mutual race or $5,000 lifetime, as of midnight March 31, 2024.

The $12,000 added finals will be contested next Sunday, June 16.

Sunday's card also included an $8,000 second leg division of the Prospect Series for Ontario-sired three-year-old filly trotters with 1-9 favourite Sandoon fighting off a parked out Moxiebow through a 1:02 opening half on her way to a 2-1/2-length victory in 2:03 with Bruce Richardson aboard. Moxiebow stayed for second and The Blondy finished third.

A three-time Prospect winner last year, the Lookslikeachpndale-Striking Ivy filly has earned her two sophomore wins in the series for trainer John Holding and co-owner Morely Bosomworth of Elora, Ont. She paid $2.20 to win.

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

(Standardbred Canada)