After being edged out at the wire by upsetter Winzel in her season debut last week, Thundering Ovation, recently named The Raceway at the Western Fair District's 2014 Older Trotting Mare of the Year, held off that rival this time out to win the $11,600 Preferred 2 Trot amidst snow flurries on Wednesday night.
Driven by Paul MacKenzie, Thundering Ovation took the lead from post two and carved out fractions of :29.4, 1:01.1 and 1:30.4 en route to the victory in 2:01.2 over the track listed as "good" with a two second variant. The 6-5 favourite paid $4.70 to win. Tracking in the pocket for most of the mile, Winzel (Nick Steward) closed along the pylons and Tornado Tim (Daniel O'Brian) fanned wide off cover, both coming within a half-length of the winner.
Joanne and Courtney Sloan own the homebred Thunder Road mare while Gerald Sloan handles the training duties. Thundering Ovation has won $238,083 in purses lifetime and earned half of her 24 career wins last year. Thundering Ovation's connections will be honoured for her 2014 achievements at The Raceway at the Western Fair District during the track's annual awards night on Saturday, February 21.
In the $7,000 Fillies & Mares Preferred 3 Pace, Percy Elkins' Shanghai Mimi prevailed off a pocket trip in 1:59.2 for Alfie Carroll and Victor Puddy, who will both also be honoured at the awards banquet as The Raceway's top driver and trainer of 2014. Sent postward as the 6-1 fourth choice in the field, the five-year-old daughter of Shanghai Phil paid $14.40 to win. Mother Hen (Mike Sumner) finished second and Angel On The Wing (Scott Wray) was third.
Making his first start of the season, Sixth Man pulled off a 19-1 upset in the $7,400 Preferred 3 Trot with Jean Bernard Renaud driving for trainer/owner Julie Walker. The Duke Of York gelding returned $41.80 to his backers at the betting windows after converting off a two-hole trip and prevailing at the pylons in 2:02 over race leader Incredable Frank (Alfie Carroll). Savthelstdancforme (Dennis Duford) was third.
In other action, a pair of win streaks continued in back-to-back races on the card with American Grace ($4.60) and Johnny Prine Tyme ($3.90) each winning their respective $5,000 claiming paces.
The Kevin McMaster Stables' pacing mare American Grace ran her streak up to six with a wire-to-wire victory in 2:01.4. The six-year-old Allamerican Native mare completed a driving double for Lorne House.
Johnny Prine Tyme made it five in a row with Anthony MacDonald driving. The five-year-old No Pan Intended gelding is trained by Puddy for The Raceway's 2014 Owner of the Year award winner, Keith Cassell. He went first up from third and took the lead at three-quarters en route to the 2:00 three-length victory.
To view Wednesday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Wednesday Results - Western Fair Raceway.