Crown Classic ($4.30) and National Debt ($6.70) both extended active win streaks to three in their respective featured Winners-Over events in the nation’s capital on Sunday night’s (October 15) 11-race program at Rideau Carleton Raceway.
Crown Classic proved a dominant pillar-to-post winner in the $8,100 featured trot, carded as the fourth race. Trainer-driver Per Henriksen sent the five-year-old Muscle Mass mare immediately to the front, and she dictated the terms through an easy :59.2 half before dismissing a mild first-over challenge from Unabating (Richard Simard) up the far side. Crown Classic drew off to amass 8-1/2 lengths of clearance over pocket rival Jetcrest (Brett MacDonald), who narrowly protected second over the three-wide Torches Angel (Stephane Brosseau).
Darryl Drain and Stig Westrum share ownership of Crown Classic, who won her second straight Rideau winners-over event after a Preferred win at Grand River on September 18. She has amassed nine wins to date in her career, with five of them taking place this season.
In the $8,550 top pacing event (race 10), National Debt made a sweeping move from far off the pace to overcome stagnant cover and evade Bestofbest Hanover by 1-1/2 lengths. Stephane Brosseau angled the six-year-old Allamerican Native entire second-over behind Wildcat Cam (Tyler Moore) en route to the midway stage as Ufdragons Rocket (Jonathan Lachance) rated a :57.1 half, but would have to circle three-wide up the backstretch to overcome dull flow. National Debt gobbled up ground steadily through the last three-eighths of the mile, struck the front midway on the far turn, and accelerated away to a 1:55.1 win, his third straight after an Invitational score at Hippodrome 3R last week and a local win in his previous start. Last week’s local feature winner Bestofbest Hanover (Melanie Plourde) rallied from astern to take the runner-up spot over Stonebridge Beach (Stephane Pouliot).
Yves Tessier trains 24-time winner National Debt for Francois Morin.
To view Sunday’s harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results – Rideau Carleton Raceway.