Nova Scotia Strong and trainer/driver Darren Crowe prevailed in a three-way stretch duel for an 11-1 upset as the longest shot on the board in the 2025 meet's final Winners Over Handicap Pace at Truro Raceway on Sunday, Nov. 16.

Inside starter American Risk (Ryder Matthews Rennison) pocketed the leaving Ikes Dream (Robert Laffin) through a :27.3 opening quarter over the "good" track with the trailing quartet catching the top pair after gapping through the early speed in the afternoon's $2,500 feature. As American Risk took a second-quarter breather and headed in front of the grandstand to complete the first lap, Crowe sent Nova Scotia Strong first-up from fourth to challenge. 

Nova Scotia Strong quickly surged alongside American Risk at the half-mile mark in :58.2 and gained a short lead as they raced to three-quarters in 1:27.1, with Ikes Dream stalking in the pocket and joining the fray three-wide as they made the turn for home. Those three pacers battled all the way down the stretch, with a game Nova Scotia Strong holding off his rivals on both sides to prevail by a neck in 1:57.2. Ikes Dream edged out American Risk for the runner-up honours while Bettor On Than Off (Ernie Laffin), the 8-5 favourite, rallied from the back to get up for fourth following a show repair that had briefly delayed the start of the race.

Nova Scotia Strong has been racing at Truro for the past month and returned to the local winner's circle on Sunday for the first time since starting his career at the Nova Scotia half-miler as a three-year-old. His backers were rewarded with a $24.30 win payout.

Crowe trains and drives the five-year-old Hes Watching-Alyssa Hanover gelding while he competes in the province for owners Tyler Moore of Guelph, Ont., Gordie Rudolph and Archie Hattie of Dartmouth, N.S., and James Bagnell of Truro, N.S. Nova Scotia Strong picked up his fifth win of the year in 29 starts and now has 13 career victories.

Truro Raceway's perennial leading trainer George Rennison picked up two wins during the last card of the season and ended the 2025 meet with 28 victories atop the standings. Dave Carey was second with his stable winning 18 races this season while Carrie Saunders and Marc Whebby tied for third with 16 wins each. The locally based Rennison earned his 11th straight Truro training title.

Multiple drivers were in contention for the driving title heading into Sunday's eight-race program, with birthday boy Keith Legge holding his lead thanks to a closing day tally with Saunders trainee Saulsbrook Feisty. In just his third season driving, the 29-year-old Upper North River, N.S. horseman finished the meet with 23 victories. The top five drivers were all one win apart by the end of the meet, with Robert Laffin (22 wins) finishing second, Darren Crowe (21) third, Kenny Parker Jr. (20) fourth and Ernie Laffin (19) fifth.

A pair of 14-year-olds made their final career starts on Sunday and were honoured with retirement ceremonies in the winner's circle.

Pacing mare Mighty Mouse, a two-time winner last month, was retired after her final start in the afternoon's second race where she finished fourth. The Ontario-bred daughter of Million Dollar Cam out of Georgies Puddinpie has been racing at Truro Raceway since 2020 for Middle Sackville, N.S. trainer Chris Covin's CC Stables. She retires with a career record reading 44-35-44 in 318 starts, earnings totalling $151,295 and a lifetime mark of 1:56.4 taken at Western Fair Raceway as a five-year-old.

The Indiana-bred pacer Dontstandinmyway arrived in Nova Scotia after his debut three-year-old season at Hoosier Park where he took his lifetime mark of 1:57.1. The Dontgetinmyway-Peachy Yankee gelding has made 306 of his 315 starts in the province, with the majority of his races at Truro. He has been campaigned by trainer Chuck O'Connor of Andersons Mountain, N.S., and partners Zachary & Helen Landry of Trenton, N.S. for the past five years and completes his career with a record reading 30-41-52 and earned $52,012.

Live harness racing at Truro Raceway is scheduled to resume next spring.

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

(Standardbred Canada)