Mcland slid between horses to escape the pocket in the stretch and surged to a tight victory in the $2,000 Winners Over Pace at Inverness Raceway on Wednesday, July 8.

Walter Walker had Mcland away fourth to the quarter in :30.4, but the two horses in front of him left the pylons as the field went by the grandstand, allowing him to advance to the helmet of leader Whats Up Doc (Redmond Doucet). Mcland maintained the pocket through 1:00.2 and 1:30.1 middle fractions but was locked in at the top of the stretch with Elm Grove Qwiggly (Lawrence Snow) resilient on the rim and Whats Up Doc hugging the rail. As the former drifted out, Mcland shot through between horses and Ranked Contender (Campbell MacIsaac) arrived late on the far outside, setting up a deep-stretch duel between those two. With both reinsmen all out to get their charges home, Mcland had his neck in front on the line to score in 1:59.2. Whats Up Doc and Elm Grove Qwiggly were inseparable in a photo for third.

Mcland has risen through the class ranks in recent weeks. The six-year-old scored his first Inverness win on June 28 in his fourth start at the track, then scored three days later at a higher level before ascending to the top class on Wednesday. A.D. MacDonald trains the son of Mcardle-Staceys Lady for Ella MacDonald and Daniel MacDonald of Inverness, N.S. The gelding is now 10-for-91 lifetime with $57,759 in earnings. He returned $13.40 to win.

To view Wednesday’s harness racing results, click the following link: Wednesday Results - Inverness Raceway.

(Standardbred Canada)