Undefeated Woodmere Rock It and Malicious Benny took the spotlight with resilient performances on Sunday, July 26 at Inverness Raceway as they won their $12,800 “A” divisions of the Atlantic Sires Stakes (ATSS) for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings.

Woodmere Rock It, hindered early, rocketed home in :27.2 to maintain his perfect record in the second split. The gelding was wide into the first turn from post six and slid in behind Woodmere Dougal (Corey MacPherson) on the first turn, but that rival was backsteamed by the breaking Woodmere Fergus (Redmond Doucet) and caused Woodmere Rock It to gallop for several strides before rolling back on gait. Four pacers were left in contention passing the quarter in :29.1, with Much More Malice (Gilles Barrieau) on a loose lead and Woodmere Rock It well back in fourth.

The top four bunched up going to the half in :58.2, and Adam Merner started Woodmere Rock It to the outside on the backstretch, following the move of Woodmere Dougal. Woodmere Dougal pushed to the lead after a 1:28 three-quarters while Woodmere Rock It, now uncovered, put the new leader under attack. Woodmere Rock It glided by his rival at the top of the lane and went clear by 1-3/4 lengths for the 1:56.2 victory. Much More Malice gained for second over Woodmere Dougal.

Woodmere Rock It is undefeated in four starts, the last three of which have come in stakes competition. The Jamie Smith-trained son of Tobago Cays-Musette Mindale has earned $19,945 for Thestable Woodmererock It of Guelph, Ont. He paid $3.50 to win.

Malicious Benny showed grit down the stretch after going a long way uncovered to take the first ATSS A division. Away fourth to the quarter in :30.2 for Clare MacDonald, Malicious Benny pulled out turning towards the stands and was up to the wheel of leader Kingstown (Jason Hughes) going by the half in :59.4. Malicious Benny encroached further to three-quarters in 1:29 and trudged alongside the leader through the last turn, then finally wore him down in late-stretch and reached up to win by a nose in 1:58.3. Camco Kolton (Corey MacPherson) finished third.

Malicious Benny, a homebred for Wade Peconi of Stanchel, P.E.I., has won both of his ATSS starts and is two-for-three with $11,125 in earnings. Earl Watts trains the son of Malicious-Howmacs Princess. The winner returned $14.30.

The $6,000 ATSS “B” divisions for freshman male pacers were won by Elm Grove Verybest ($6.20) in 2:00 for trainer-driver Landon Campbell, Pour Me Another ($3.30) in 2:00.3 with Jason Hughes aboard for Luke Burke, and This Guns For Hire ($11) for Clare MacDonald and Vaughan Doyle in 2:00.1.

Talk Some Smack went from last on the final turn to first at the finish in the overnight feature, the $3,500 Johnny and Margaret Allan Ian Pace.  The Kevin MacDonald-trained gelding dropped back to sixth for Jason Hughes, taking the pylons to the quarter in :29.2 before moving third-over in the six-horse field approaching the half in :58.2. Talk Some Smack remained on cover to three-quarters in 1:28.3, swooped five-wide at the bottom of the final turn, and steamrolled past fellow closer Stay Pumped (Danny Gillis) and pacesetter Whats Up Doc (Redmond Doucet) to record a 1:57.3 score. The surge of Stay Pumped, beaten a quarter-length, was enough to snag second from Whats Up Doc.

With his victory in the Winners Over-class event, Talk Some Smack is two-for-seven this season. Kevin MacDonald of Port Hood, N.S. owns the seven-year-old Artspeak-Astraean gelding, a 16-time winner in 114 starts with $31,817 in the bank. The 5-1 fifth choice returned $12.50.

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

(Standardbred Canada; photo of Woodmere Benny winning on July 26)