Following a delayed start caused by a recall when one of the trotters threw a shoe behind the gate, a backstretch battle between the favoured outside starters ensued with Emma Town Bud coming out on top over Tyrone Bow Tie in the $10,000 Preferred Handicap at Rideau Carleton Raceway on Wednesday, July 30.

Emma Town Bud and trainer/driver Pierre Bovay left from post six in the fifth race feature and forged ahead of inside starter Wishyoudtellme (William Roy) through a contested :27.2 quarter while the parked 2-1 second choice from the far outside, Tyrone Bow Tie (Ryan Guy), took back and took a brief tuck in fifth in front of the stands before marching forward to press the leader past the :57.1 half. 

Emma Town Bud maintained a short lead through three-quarters in 1:25.1 with Tyrone Bow Tie breathing down his neck but shrugged off that rival turning for home and opened up in deep stretch to win by 3-1/4 lengths in 1:55. Tyrone Bow Tie, who was charted with broken equipment, held on for second over the the closing Kenogami Coco (Robert Shepherd) while Raising Rusty (Stephane Pouliot) took fourth after his earlier shoe repair.

Emma Town Bud has finished no worse than fourth competing in Rideau's Preferred class 10 times this year for owner Nicole Bovay Gurtner, Applehill, Ont. He won four in a row from May through June before adding another victory on Wednesday night.

With his 28th career win, the eight-year-old gelding went over $400,000 in earnings.

He paid $4.30 to win as the even-money favourite.

The 10-race card concluded with Guy Gagnon driving the winners of the final four races, including three of his own trainees, pacing mare Beach Journey ($8.80) and geldings Make It Come True ($7.50) and Greystone Watchman ($6). The two-time O'Brien Award of Horsemanship winner tops all drivers at the Ottawa oval with 96 wins so far this year and currently sits second in the trainer standings with 38 wins, 20 behind leader Mandy Archer, who sent out a pair of winners on Wednesday including the Gagnon-driven Sonofamillionaire ($2.50).

To view Wednesday's harness racing results, click the following link: Wednesday Results - Rideau Carleton Raceway.

(Standardbred Canada)