A pair of $23,500 finals of the Maritime Breeders Stakes was the order of the day on Sunday (October 22) at Truro Raceway, as juvenile pacers representing both sexes put their best hooves forward over the half-mile Bible Hill oval.
The heavily-backed Half Cut ($2.50) put forth a dominant display in the male final (Race 10), as the Post 2 starter opened up on his foes late and recorded a tidy victory in 1:57.
Mark Bradley was calling the shots behind the Tom Weatherbie pupil, and the duo didn’t waste any time in the outing. Half Cut was the quickest off the switch, as he assumed control of the point and led the field to the opening quarter-mile pole in :28.1.
The gelding continued on the engine through the half-mile pole (:57.3) and passed the three-quarters pole (1:28.2). Half Cut had extended his lead to three lengths by the time he reached the head of the lane. He tacked on another two lengths in the final quarter (:28.3) and nailed the wire five lengths the best.
Post 1 starter Tangled Mind (driven by Gilles Barrieau) occupied the pocket through the mile and finished second. Woodmere Ideal Art (Jason Hughes) closed for third.
Half Cut's 1:57 mile equalled the two-year-old gelding track mark and also equalled the track's overall two-year-old record.
Half Cut, who is a Stonebridge Terror bay, has now won eight of his 12 starts (and banked almost $45,000) for owners Kyle Gardiner (of Cardigan, PE), Joseph Gardiner (Mount Stewart, PE), Michael Currie (Cardigan) and Jerry MacKinnon (St. Peters Bay, PE).
It was the pacing fillies that kicked off the card’s Maritime Breeders action, as a field of eight lasses rolled behind the gate for Race 6 on the program. The wagering public was all over the eventual winner, as Royaltywestho ($3.60), who was sent off at eighty cents on the dollar, was an efficient winner in 1:58.4.
After having lined up in Post 3, Royaltywestho nestled into pocket for driver Walter Cheverie and followed Scarlet Desire (Marc Campbell) through the fractions, which were sliced in :27.4, :57.2 and 1:28.3.
Royaltywestho had vacated the garden spot after the third call and was on top by one length at the head of the lane. After having been shown a clear path, the Joseph Baxter trainee was full of pace, as she came home easily with a 30-second final quarter to notch a four and a half-length win.
Tobins Terror (Gary Chappell) came first-up from sixth in the early going and finished second. Woodmere Ceilidh, who raced at the back of the pack early, closed for driver Clare MacDonald and finished fourth after having been interfered with. Woodmere Ceilidh was moved up to third via placement by the judges.
Baxter co-owns Royaltywestho along with fellow Windsor, Nova Scotia resident Gregory Francis. The Westwardho Hanover filly is out of the Royal Mattjesty mare Lady Kelleigh Anne. Royaltywestho has now won seven of her ten career starts and has missed the board just once. She has now banked over $32,000 in career purses.
To view the harness racing results for Sunday at Truro, click the following link: Sunday Results – Truro Raceway.
A sole non-wagering race took place prior to the pari-mutuel card. Big Joe Doby and Fern Hill Breeze faced off against each other for the winner’s share of the $9,914 that was up for grabs in the Nova Scotia Stake for three-year-old pacing colts. After having started from the rail, the Joseph Janega-trained and Danny Romo-driven Big Joe Doby cut all the fractions (:30, 1:01.1, 1:33) and won by three and a half lengths in 2:02.4. Fern Hill Breeze (Marc Campbell) had broken stride near the head of the lane. Big Joe Doby, who is an Electric Stena gelding, is a homebred of his trainer, Joseph Janega of Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia.