Some of the top older horses in Cape Breton made their way to Northside Downs for the first leg of the 2019 Governor's Cup Series on Saturday (Oct. 26).
Blacky Black captured the first $1,300 division, winning his fifth straight contest in the process. With regular pilot Barry Bates at the controls, Blacky Black dared his rivals to get by him after making the lead and zipping through a :27.4 opening quarter. The tempo was slowed after the first fraction, with a :58.1 half and 1:28.3 third quarter and no challengers. Accelerator (Greg Sparling) tried to make it interesting late but could only get to within the leader's hindquarters as Blacky Black tripped the timer in 1:59.2. Perfect Major (Mark Pezzarello) completed the best company.
Making his eleventh start for owner-trainer Bates of New Waterford, N.S., Blacky Black (The Panderosa - Black Brinny) boasts a 9-1-0 summary and looks to be the horse to beat in this series.
The second $1,300 Governor's Cup division went to Southwind Ricardo, who was last at the half but first when it mattered most.
Outermost starter Brother John (Randy Getto) was pointed to the lead and used hard to get there, just clearing early pacesetter Wildcat Jet (Pezzarello) after the :28.1 opening split. Pezzarello quickly looped back to the top and maintained command heading to the half but under pressure from Pictonian Fancypas (Gerry Snow). Those two locked horns with the midway point reached in :58.3, as Makes Me Stupid (Rodney Gillis) stalked from second over and Brother John occupies the pocket. Southwind Ricardo (Harold Le Blanc, Jr.) was an unused fifth and third along the rail.
Wildcat Jet got some separation on the pocket sitter Brother John, who started to fade, and rebuffed the challenge of Pictonian Fancypas. As Brother John backed through the field, Southwind Ricardo passed that rival on the backstretch and dropped back to the rail for a ground-saving trip. Makes Me Stupid tipped three-wide around Pictonian Fancypas as Wildcat Jet hit the third quarter in 1:28.2. Southwind Ricardo was stick-handled into second heading for home. A leg-weary Wildcat Jet tried to hold off his rivals but Southwind Ricardo emerged from that pocket to pick off the pacesetter, winning by three-quarters of a length in 1:59.3. Wildcat Jet stayed for second with Makes Me Stupid in the show spot.
Harold Le Blanc trains Southwind Ricardo (Dragon Again - Southwind Rio) and co-owns along with Joel Le Blanc of Victoria Mines, William Seymour & Bernie Gillis of Glace Bay, N.S. The six-year-old bay gelding picked up his seventh win of the season -- matching his 2018 win total in four fewer attempts -- and 27th lifetime tally.
The second leg of the series, open to horses that are non-winners of $10,000 in 2019 up to and including October 20, 2019, is slated for next Saturday, November 2 with the $5,000G final to be contested on Saturday, November 9.
To view the charts for the Saturday card at Northside, click the following link: Saturday Results - Northside Downs.