Hippyjohn and driver Danny Gillis capped off the mid-August Sunday afternoon card of harness racing at Inverness Raceway with an easy win in the Winners Over class.

The $2,000 featured seventh race finale only had four horses behind the gate with the scratch of Whats Up Doc, but there was plenty of early action before Hippyjohn stole the show. After the leaving outside pair traded leads through first-half fractions of :28 and :58.1, Gillis made the winning move tipping the even-money favourite out from third. Hippyjohn advanced steadily on the front duo as they headed into the backstretch the final time and rolled right on by before the 1:28.3 third quarter pole then drew off by five lengths to leave his rivals battling for the minor spoils in a 1:58.2 mile. Early trailer Crime Boss (Greg Munro) tracked the winner's move up the backside and edged out McLand (Zach Mullins) and Risin Horizon (Keith Legge) in the race for place.

Trained by Mary MacQuarrie, Hippyjohn earned his first victory at the Winners Over level at Inverness. The eight-year-old Betterthancheddar-Heads Up Hanover gelding has won three of his 12 starts this year and now has 26 victories lifetime. He is owned by the Estate of Roderick C Smith of Inverness, N.S.

Hippyjohn paid $4.20 to win as the bettors' choice.

The 100th race of the 100th season at Inverness was acknowledged during Sunday's card as the $3,000 Centennial Pace in the day's fifth race. Lennan MacIsaac trainee Philthy Phil and driver/owner Redmond Doucet won the conditioned optional claiming pace in a new lifetime mark of 1:57.3 after making a three-wide move on the backstretch, with Eastcoast Invader (Rodney Gillis) hot on his heels chasing in second.

A lengthy tote delay resulting from a dead heat for second-place in the afternoon's second race was eventually rectified with Inverness Raceway officials apologizing for the inconvenience before the action proceeded.

The next card of live harness racing at Inverness Raceway is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 26 at 7 p.m. (ADT).

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

(Standardbred Canada)