Guy Gagnon sent four pupils to the winner’s circle while steering five and in the process sweeping the featured $9,200 Preferred Handicaps on the Sunday (Oct. 17) card at Rideau Carleton Raceway.
Steering his pupil and odds-on choice The Light Speed in the Preferred Handicap Pace, Gagnon grabbed the front past a :27 first quarter and kept the pace hot to a :55.2 half with Ashleysbest sitting second and Stonebridge Beach third. Major Hill mounted a first-over bid moving for the backside but came only two lengths within the leader as he clicked three-quarters in 1:24.1. The Light Speed continued to cruise into the final turn and strode through the stretch to win by a length in 1:53.1 over Stonebridge Beach and Ashleysbest. Shadow Margeaux rallied for fourth.
A three-year-old homebred gelding by Moon Beam for owner Michel Nolette, The Light Speed won his 10th race from 17 starts this season and his 12th from 28 overall, pushing his earnings to $78,873. He paid $3.60 to win as the bookend to Gagnon’s hat trick as he won earlier with his trainees Mortgage My Villa ($3.50) and Thundering Jim ($3.60) and also steered The Regulator ($4.20) to victory.
Gagnon capped the card with a victory behind his trainee Seeyou Men when winning the Preferred Handicap Trot in 1:56.
Seeyou Men settled into the pocket while Capteur De Reve led the field to the first quarter in :27.4 and Crossfit sat parked first over. With no seat at the pegs, Crossfit continued to advance first over after Capteur De Reve into a :58 half and to three-quarters in 1:26.2. Crossfit continued to dig into Capteur De Reve around the final turn and downed the temposetter to take a narrow lead off the final turn. Seeyou Men then dove into the open stretch for the lead late and nailed Crossfit by a neck at the line. Ripped And Ready rallied for third and Capteur De Reve faded to frouth.
Owned by Catheline Pelletier and Chantel Gravel, Seeyou Men won his sixth race from 19 starts this season and his 35th from 152 overall, pushing his earnings to $360,519. The nine-year-old Muscle Mass gelding paid $10.50 to win.
Round two of the Coville Cup got underway with Mike Healey and Fern Hill Bella landing in the winner’s circle following the disqualification of Benoit Hebert and Sir Galahad in the first division.
Parked to the quarter in :28, Fern Hill Bella yielded command to Sir Galahad moving around the second turn and stayed put through three-quarters in 1:26.3. Fern Hill Bella mounted a bid after Sir Galahad off the final turn, where Sir Galahad interfered with Fern Hill Bella and forced the judges to disqualify him to second. Lucky Leonard and Darcy Clancy finished third while Keystone Prestige and Philip Reid finished fourth.
Bernard Lavigne bolted away from his rivals to win the second Coville Cup division with Vanilla Malted in 1:55.3. The odds-on choice led at every pole through a clip of :28, :58.2 and 1:26.3 before edging clear to a six-length victory over Windusn Cheyenne and Sebastien Turenne taking second. State News, driven by Andrew Moore, finished third and Print Media took fourth in rein to Philippe Trudeau.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Rideau Carleton Raceway.