The public felt that A Better Man was the best bet in the top class on Saturday, Oct. 21 at Northside Downs, and the pacer wasn't about to let an off track stand between him and the winner's circle.
The $1,600 Winners Over feature was reduced to a field of four after two weather-related scratches, but that didn't make the race any less eventful. Driver Gerard Kennedy hustled A Better Man to the top and cleared around the first turn. There was only a brief opportunity to ratchet down the speed as Dellas Playboy made a first-over bid through the :30 opener to keep the pace honest over the track listed as 'good' with a three-second variant. A Better Man maintained control through a :59.2 half and 1:30.2 third station to repel the overland attacker and scooted home in :30.1 to best runner-up Two Tone Terror (Randy Getto) by nearly three lengths with the mile timed in 2:00.3. Gentry Seelster (Mark Pezzarello) rounded out the top trio.
Joseph Lewis of Sydney, N.S. owns and trains A Better Man, now a 21-time winner with more than $94,000 in career earnings. The seven-year-old altered son of Betterthancheddar - Beluga Hanover returned $3.90 to win.
To view the results from the Saturday card of harness racing at Northside, click the following link: Saturday Results - Northside Downs.