Sitting seventh and last heading around the final turn, Emmetts Buddy wasn't looking like the most probable winner in the $32,000 Preferred 2 Pace on Saturday, Sept. 30 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
One week ago, the four-year-old pacer was at the back of the pack in the $75,000 Free For All at Woodbine Mohawk Park and didn't improve upon his position at the finish even though he closed in :25.4.
What a difference a week and a drop in class can make.
This week, Emmetts Buddy faced six rivals in the Preferred class and was sent off at 11-1 odds. Tyler Borth settled the Manitoba-bred away into sixth as Momas Son Byrne (Jonathan Drury) forged three-wide through a :26.2 opening quarter to make the front and saunter through a :55 half before pressure came in the form of favoured Funatthebeach N (Trevor Henry) approaching the third station.
Whichwaytothbeach (Travis Cullen) followed that outer flow, with Rockabilly Rebel N (Sylvain Filion ) third over at the 1:22.4 third station. Here, Emmetts Buddy and Borth were seventh and last but just some five lengths off the lead of a vulnerable frontrunner.
Turning for home, it was a seven-wide charge to the wire. Borth had his 'Buddy' widest of all, to the outside of Rockabilly Rebel. Still accelerating through the wire, and closing in an identical to last week :25.4, Emmetts Buddy picked off Rockabilly Rebel in the final strides for the 1:49.4 upset. Powertrain (Scott Young) finished third.
A homebred owned by Arthur Rey of St. Claude, Man. and trained by Mike Kwietniowski, Emmetts Buddy (In The Irons - Logicallyinclined) now sports a 9-3-2 record from 25 appearances this year — with four wins in his last five starts — and $129,990 in seasonal earnings.
To view the results from Saturday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Saturday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.