Little T and Handbagofcheezies were inseparable at the finish after a hard-fought stretch battle as they dead heated in the $7,500 Pop-Up Series final for fillies and mares on Sunday, June 22 at Clinton Raceway.

The three inside starters went side-by-side into the first turn but eventually settled into program order with Little T taking point for Travis Henry with leg one winner Handbagofcheezies (Carter Gimblett) in the pocket through the quarter in :28.3. Little T laid down 1:00 and 1:30 middle fractions as the first-up Shady Memories (Nick Steward) failed to threaten.

Little T took a 1-1/2-length lead to the top of the stretch, where Handbagofcheezies kicked off the cones and began to close in. With both horses in a full sprint, Handbagofcheezies found a final surge to reach the line together with Little T for a dead heat in 1:59.3. Stay Safe (Louis Gregg) converted a three-hole trip into a show cheque.

Little T, a Riley Simpson-trained mare, is three-for-23 this season. She earned her 23rd lifetime victory in 164 starts and raised her bankroll to $145,414. The seven-year-old Allamerican Native-Tiaras Bluff miss is owned by Shen Guo of Waterloo, Ont. She paid the minimum $2.10 to win.

Handbagofcheezies doubled her seasonal win total for trainer Randy Ertel in the 13th outing of her five-year-old campaign. She is now 13-for-87 lifetime with $74,406 in earnings. Ertel co-owns the daughter of Betterthancheddar-Helena Handbag with fellow Coldwater, Ont. resident Cory Guthrie. The mare's win price was $4.40.

Fear The Dice was the sole winner of the $7,500 Pop-Up final for males, cutting the mile in 1:58.2 to spring a 9-1 upset. He grinded past rail starter Dark Moves (Steward) around the first turn to reach the engine for Henry before completing the first quarter in :28.2. Old Buck (Bob McClure), marching first-over from fourth, moved up to challenge the leader at the half in :59.2 and pressured him until capitulating at three-quarters in 1:28.4. Fear The Dice had no trouble resisting pocket-sitter Dark Moves and held off the closing General Lee (Gregg) to win by a length. Hogwash (Gimblett) rallied between General Lee and Dark Moves and got up for third.

Fear The Dice nabbed his first win of the season in four attempts after place finishes in the two Pop-Up Series preliminary legs. The Fear The Dragon-Delighted Again gelding has earned $109,354 and won 22 of 108 career starts. Peter Brickman trains the six-year-old for Brinsley Brickman of Sebringville, Ont.

The Pop-Up Series was for non-winners of $2,500 in their last five starts or $500 per start or a race in 2025 and raced in an $8,000 claimer in their last start before entering the series.

Henry’s pair of Pop-Up wins highlighted a grand slam for the reinsman on the 10-dash card.

To view Sunday’s harness racing results, click the following link: Sunday Results – Clinton Raceway.

(Standardbred Canada)