Raising Rusty rolled up the pylons off a pocket trip to capture the $10,000 Preferred Handicap Trot at Rideau Carleton Raceway on Wednesday, Oct. 1.
He was first to the front for Melanie Plourde but gave up command to Kenogami Coco (Robert Shepherd) before the quarter in :28.1. There was no action through the middle fractions of :57.3 and 1:26.1 until Rose Run Why Not (Pascal Berube) moved from third approaching the last turn and went to work on Kenogami Coco. Raising Rusty took the passing lane, and the closing pair overtook the pacesetter in the stretch. Raising Rusty had the best kick of that pair, and he trotted clear by 1-1/4 lengths for a 1:55.3 victory. Kenogami Coco settled for third.
Raising Rusty won for the fourth time in 25 starts this season for trainer Stephane Pouliot and owner 9096 9205 Quebec Inc. of Gloucester, Ont. The eight-year-old Kadabra-Raising The Bar gelding is a 30-time winner in 183 starts with $249,683 in earnings. He returned $13.30 to win.
Later on the card, Never Mind N won his fifth straight race in the claiming ranks. The 1-9 favourite was out-left by outside starter Cadillac (Stephane Pouliot) but remained on the rim to push forward to the front, then led unopposed for the remainder of the race. Driver Guy Gagnon didn’t need to lift a line in the last quarter-mile as the gelding marched home to win by 2-1/2 lengths in 1:57.1. Mask Of Zoro (Pascal Berube) nabbed Cadillac late for second. Never Mind N, trained by Mandy Archer for Jamie Copley, has won 41 of 183 starts. The 12-year-old Muscle Mass-Ashlyn Cr gelding returned $2.10.
To view Wednesday’s harness racing results, click the following link: Wednesday Results - Rideau Carleton Raceway.
(Standardbred Canada)