Driver Ryan Holliday enjoyed a driving double in Friday night's Forest City Preview divisions for three-year-olds featured at The Raceway at Western Fair District.
With the inside post advantage in the $12,500 three-year-old filly pace division, Casino Classic ($5.50) secured a pocket trip as 4-5 favourite Katies Gal forged to the front. Casino Classic tracked Katies Gal through fractions of :27.3, :57.3 and 1:26.4 before rallying by in the stretch and holding off Style Snapshot, who closed from third, to prevail by a nose in a career-best clocking of 1:56 flat. Holliday drove the Classic Card Shark-Art Alliance filly, who has won a quarter of her 15 starts this year for trainer Robert Manders and owners Richard and Keith Manders. Katies Gal finished one and a half lengths behind in third.
Also driven by Holliday, Majestic Marvel ($2.40) was on his best behaviour rebounding from miscues in recent starts with a winning performance in the $13,500 Forest City Preview for three-year-old trotting colts and geldings, which was contested at an expanded distance of 1-1/16 miles. The 1-5 favourite rallied three-wide off cover at the 1:30.4 third quarter mark to take the lead and open up two and three-quarter lengths for the 2:08.4 victory. Unraced as a two-year-old, the Majestic Son-C H Meadow Miss gelding has now won one-third of his 18 starts. He is trained by Holliday's father David and owned by his wife Caroline along with breeder Ronald Corbett. Gym Rat and P C Silent Drive finished second and third, respectively, just ahead of race leader Future King.
Ionia ($5.70) dominated the $13,500 three-year-old filly trot division with Nick Steward aboard for trainer Bill Shaw and owners Joseph Shaw and Jay Kressler. The Majestic Son-No Magic To It filly carved out fractions of :30, 1:01.4 and 1:32 and had clear sailing to the wire when the pocket-pulling Angora Seelster broke stride in the stretch. Ionia earned her eighth win of the year in the 1-1/16 mile event, stopping the clock in 2:09.4. Princess Julieann and Tax Savings rounded out the top three finish order.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Western Fair.