Kevin Wallis mapped out a winning trip with Michigan invader Blueprint in the featured $11,000 Preferred 2 Pace to notch a driving hat trick during Hiawatha Horse Park’s 11-race card Saturday evening
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Coming off a close second-place finish in Hazel Park Raceway’s Open Handicap Pace, Blueprint left the gate from Post 7 and settled in seventh while Jet Fueled (Terry Kerr) stepped on the gas from Post 5. After a :27.4 opening quarter Wallis tipped his charge into the outer flow and remained third-over in sixth through middle splits of :58.4 and 1:27.2.
At the third-quarter check in the first-over Seven Samurai (Jeff Mayhew) was nose-to-nose with the pacesetter. With the inner advantage, Jet Fueled pressed on as he turned for home but would eventually settle for sixth as the backfield began to spring into action.
Blueprint unleashed a :27.3 final quarter to come on for the 1:55.4 victory while his cover, favourite Resessitate (Glenn Hardy), finished a length and three-quarters back in second. Artistic Jonathon (Don Rankin, Jr.) rallied from seventh in the stretch to get third.
The four-year-old son of Browning Blue Chip-Sophisticated is trained by Steven Pelshaw for Kimberly Pelshaw of Capac, Michigan. The win was his sixth in 26 starts this year lifting his earnings to over $40,000. Blueprint has visited the winner’s circle 18 times over the course of his career banking $78,330.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click here.