Some class relief was just what the doctor ordered for former Metro Pace winner Boomboom Ballykeel, getting his first win in three months with a dominant score in Monday's top class at The Raceway at the Western Fair District.
Driver Alfie Carroll wasted no time in hustling Boomboom Ballykeel to the position of command in the $11,000 Preferred 2 Handicap and paced through panels of :28.1, :58.3 and 1:28.1 before sealing the deal with a :29.1 closer to trip the timer in 1:57.2.
Stablemate Track Master D (Billy Davis, Jr.) edged out pocket sitter Lyons Levi Lewis (Vincent Langdon) for the runner up spot, more than two lengths back of the winner.
The win was the 14th lifetime for five-year-old Boomboom Ballykeel (Mach Three - Teig N Riley), a homebred owned by Ballykeel Racing of Tillsonburg, Ont. with more than $630,000 earned over the course of his career.
In the next race, Scott Coulter tried the catch-me-if-you-can plan with Cluster Hanover in the $7,500 Preferred 3 Pace. It worked. After fractions of :28.1, :59.2 and 1:29.3, a :30.1 final quarter was sufficient to hold off a closing Intended Royalty (Robert Shepherd) by three parts of a length for the victory.
Sporting a spotless record in 2016, Cluster Hanover (Badlands Hanover - Clouding Over) is trained by Barry Treen for owners Tammy Lynn Turner of Ingersoll, Ont. and Jeffrey Elchuk of Surrey, B.C. From 72 lifetime starts, the five-year-old pacing gelding boasts 14 lifetime wins.
To view the full set of charted results from Monday's card at Western Fair, click the following link: Monday Results - Western Fair.