Longshot Keepers Destiny trumped the popular Michelles Idea, wearing her down at the wire in Friday’s featured $9,000 Fillies & Mares Preferred 3 Pace at Grand River Raceway
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Michelles Idea and driver Doug McNair left from Post 3 and maintained a two length lead on the field of eight as she raced past fractions of :28.3, :58.1 and 1:27.2 while Keepers Destiny and Dave Boughton were positioned third along the rail.
Cats Meow and Bruce Richardson launched a mild challenge but stalled on the outside and eventually faded to seventh.
Keepers Destiny, however, was successful with her late attack. Boughton re-thought a three-wide move as Masons More (Trevor Henry) pulled the pocket in the final turn and instead ducked down along the pylons. Keepers Destiny slipped by Michelles Idea with a :28.2 final frame, prevailing by a head in 1:56.3. Masons More finished a half-length back in third.
Keepers Destiny paid $51.80 for the upset. The Phil Coleman trainee notched her sixth win out of 24 starts as a four-year-old, and pushed her earnings to over $71,000 for owners Merlin Howse of Langton and Casie Coleman of Cambridge, Ont. The homebred daughter of Intrepid Seelster-Keeper Flying is just a few hundred dollars shy of the $150,000 mark in career earnings.
To view Friday's results, click here.