The Middlesex County Series continued on Friday night at Western Fair Raceway with a full 13-race card featuring $8,000 second leg divisions for both trotters and pacers
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Driver Trevor Henry put together a five-win night and helped Paul Taylor to a training double while reinsmen Nick Steward and Robert Shepherd each scored two wins apiece.
Leading the way in the male pacing division, Prime Time Poppa converted from the pocket and scooted away in the stretch to an 11 and a half length victory in 1:57.3 -- the fastest division of the night -- for Henry and Taylor. The Mike Bishop-trained and Jonathan Drury-driven Kesons Reign was a repeat winner with a 1:58.2 front end effort and is now sporting a three-win streak. Lyons Johnny, a runner-up in the first leg, went wire-to-wire to win his Friday night division in 1:58.1 by three and a half lengths for driver Anthony Haughan and trainer Bruce Goit.
Mach Raiser doubled up in the series for female pacers as she held on for a 1:58 victory by a quarter length for Shepherd and trainer Sean MacSwain. D Js Sister also returned to the winner's circle fresh off a first leg win with another in 2:01 for the Henry and Taylor team. Steward reined home the other two divisional winners, the maiden-breaking Modern Day Nite in 2:00.3 for trainer Bernard Desmond and the Allan Shelton-trained Eternal Lady, who romped to a nine length score in 1:58.4.
In the trotting horse division, Zip The Lip made it four wins in a row with his eight and a half length romp in 1:59.4 with Paul MacKenzine in the sulky for trainer Jennifer Rankin. Indian Lake also extended his win streak to four with a 2:02.1 romp, winning by 11 lengths for Henry and trainer Graham Burgess. Jackfish Boy, driven by trainer Ron Henderson, rallied home off cover for a maiden-breaking score in 2:03.4 by a nose over first leg winner Schrader Hanover in a another division while the Nelson White-trained Need Help Here and Henry got a little help to win their split in 2:02.1 when leader Pete The Chief broke stride in the stretch.
As for the trotting mares, Amoreena trounced the other first leg winner, Waltsa Seelster, with her 2:01.3 score and extended her win streak to three in the process. The Roy Jefferies trainee won by five lengths with Shepherd sitting in the sulky. The Shannon Henry-conditioned Stirling Abacus and Trevor Henry wired the other division in 2:03.4 for the filly's first win.
The series, for Ontario-sired four-year-olds and younger that are non-winners of $10,000 lifetime as of midnight September 1, 2011, will wrap up next Saturday, November 5.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Western Fair Raceway.