Rush Rules held off the popular Piece Of The Rock for a mild upset victory in the $100,000 City Of Greater Sudbury Pace for non-winners of $100,000 in 2011 on Saturday night at Sudbury Downs
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With the inside advantage, Rush Rules and driver Dan Clements took control of the field, which was reduced to eight with the scratch of Fleet Sensation. The 7-1 third choice laid down opening fractions of :27.1 and :56 before coming under attack.
Leaving from the outside Post 7, Piece Of The Rock and driver Scott Young were caught three-wide early on as they advanced on the outside and came within a half-length of the leader nearing three-quarters in 1:24.4. Piece Of The Rock was persistent, but couldn't make it by the leader, who prevailed in 1:54.3. Windsun Callum and driver Gerry Belanger finished three and a quarter lengths behind in third off a pocket trip.
The Mike Sinclair trainee finished second to track record holder Piece Of The Rock in his elimination last week. Chasin Racin, who won the other elimination one week ago, finished a disappointing eighth.
Rush Rules has now won seven times in 15 starts during his seven-year-old campaign while banking over $90,000. The Scooter Scott gelding is owned by Guy Beaulieu of Chelmsford, Ont., Rosemary Shelswell of Cookstown, Ont., and Robert Truman of Harbor Springs, Michigan. Lifetime, the 33-time winner has banked $273,262.
He paid $17.40 to win.
Clements and Sinclair teamed up for double on the card.
Earlier on the card, Young clicked with the Wayne Preszcator-trained Secret Weapon in the $15,000 Not Listed Preferred Pace.
Owned by Waterloo's Secret Weapon Stables, the nine-year-old Western Hanover gelding, who was fifth in his City Of Great Sudbury Pace elimination last week, rallied three-wide at the third quarter mark and stormed home to win in 1:55 by over four lengths. Pacesetters Daibin N and Mike MacNeil were forced to settle for second while pocket-sitter Sambucca Mystic and Jeff Nowoselsky finished third.
The favourite returned $4.20 to win for the ninth time in 22 seasonal starts.
For results from Saturday's harness racing card, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Sudbury Downs.