A quartet of Preferred events shared the spotlight on a brisk Monday night at The Raceway at the Western Fair District.
Track Master D was hampered with an outside post in the $11,000 Preferred 2 Handicap but the seven hole wasn't a barrier to success. Alfie Carroll guided the pacer to a gate-to-wire winning performance in 1:58.2 over Twilite Zone (Paul MacKenzie) and Kendal Gustav (Lorne House).
Brad Grant owns Track Master D (Bettors Delight - Queen Otra), a six-year-old pacer trained by Richard Moreau. With one win in 2016, Track Master D has matched his seasonal win total from 2015. Monday night's win helped lift the pacer's lifetime bankroll to $263,323.
At the age of 11, Winzel is not showing signs of slowing down. Nick Steward guided the trotter to a wire-to-wire score in the $7,500 Preferred 3 Trot, tripping the timer in 2:01.4. Favoured Blazing Shot (MacKenzie) was a neck back in second with longshot Schrodinger (Carroll) completing the triactor.
Brittany Kennedy trains and co-owns Winzel (Royal Strength - Worthy Outlaw) along with Janet Fairall of Windsor and Nancy & Jack Holmes of Clinton, Ont. The win was his 43rd lifetime and pushed his purse earnings to $274,067.
The first $7,500 Preferred 3 Pace of the card looked to be another wire-to-wire winner as Retail (MacKenzie) was alone on the front end...until the final turn. E L Spartacus (J Harris) was some seven-plus gapped from the pocket sitter for the early portion of the mile but found his best stride late and picked off Retail with a late lunge for the neck decision in 1:57.4. Mister X (Carroll) sat the pocket throughout but couldn't gain on the pacesetter late, thus settling for show honours.
Eric Billings trains and Jeffrey Williamson of Blyth, Ont. owns six-year-old E L Spartacus (I Am A Fool - Wild Today), now a winner of nine lifetime races and more than $51,900 in his career.
The Raceway had enough entries for two $7,500 Preferred 3 paces on Monday night. Favoured Warrior Call (Garrett Rooney) sat the pocket behind Akoya (Steward) until the field headed into the backstretch the second time. Warrior Call continued to apply pressure around the final turn before pulling clear just ahead of the wire before hitting the wire in 1:58.1.
Trainer Gord McDonnell co-owns Warrior Call (Badlands Hanover - Armbro Blue) with Vince Orlando and Steve John of Leamington, Ont. The owners watched the five-year-old score his ninth lifetime win from 69 starts and surpass $70,000 in purses earned.
To view the results from Monday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Monday Results - Western Fair.