A parade of Preferreds closed out Western Fair Raceway's Monday evening card with Peter Core trainees taking two of the final four races.
Despite weather related scratches in all 12 races and temperatures dropping 15 degrees below zero, harness racing proceeded at the snowy London, Ont. oval, which was rated three seconds off.
With Nick Steward driving, Cards That Count ($16.50) pulled off a 7-1 upset in the first $6,500 Fillies & Mares Preferred 3 Pace for Core. The six-year-old Cams Card Shark mare settled for a pocket trip through the fastest opening quarter of the card, clocked in :27.2, and chased home Mamasaidso to defeat that favourite by one length in 1:59.2. The winner is owned by Donald and Heather McGregor of Camlachie, Ont.
Trotting mare Joyful Road ($8.50) converted off a two-hole trip to win another $6,500 Preferred 3 in 2:03.4 for Core and his partners Don Allensen of Wyoming, Ont. and Sarnia, Ont.'s Raymond Core and Daniel Diebold. The five-year-old daughter of Thunder Road wore down the popular pacesetter, Windsun Fireball, for the three-quarter-length tally.
Lorne House earned back-to-back driving wins in Preferred action with Joyful Road and Kendal Gustav ($4.80). The latter led the field, which was reduced from nine to four, in the $6,500 Preferred 3 Pace for the two and three-quarter length victory matching Cards That Count's fastest mile of the night in 1:59.2. The five-year-old Life Sign gelding is trained and owned by Scott McNiven of Putnam, Ont. and co-owners Thomas Brodhurst of London, Ont. and Shirley Griffin of St. Thomas, Ont.
Making the first start of his 11-year-old campaign, Button Up ($4.30) won the other $6,800 Preferred 3 Pace in 2:00.4. Driven by Mike Horner, the early leader was shuffled back to last in the short four-horse field and rallied around the advancing favourite, Thats The Life, to prevail by half a length over that rival. The son of Northern Luck, who has won 43 races and $764,901 in purses lifetime, is owned and trained by Mark Horner of St Marys, Ont.
To view Monday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Monday Results - Western Fair.