Headed briefly down the backstretch the final time with the late closers coming, trainer Wayne MacLellan's homebred pacer Whats Up Doc ultimately fought off all challengers to deliver on his pari-mutuel promise in the Winners Over Pace at Inverness Raceway on Sunday, Oct. 5.
Driven by Redmond Doucet in the afternoon's featured $2,000 finale, 6-5 favourite Whats Up Doc protected his pylon position into the opening turn with outside leaver Windemere Best Man (Danny Gillis) landing a pocket seat ahead of Shir Gain (Rodney Gillis), who was flushed first-up early on by the advancing Talk Some Smack (Travis MacLean) past the :29.1 quarter mark.
Whats Up Doc held command through a :58.2 half but Shir Gain gained a short lead on the outside past three-quarters in 1:28.1. Fighting back at the inside turning for home, Whats Up Doc held off the late surges of the pocket-popping Windemere Best Man and wide-rallying Talk Some Smack in a three-across finish at the wire in 1:58.3.
Winning by a nose in the photo finish, Whats Up Doc returned $4.70 to his backers at the betting outlets. Windemere Best Man edged out Talk Some Smack for the runner-up honours, with Shir Gain settling for fourth in the six-horse field.
The six-year-old Hilarious Halo-CMR Maybe Loaded gelding now has a 25 per cent win average from 20 starts this year and is now 21-for-100 lifetime with 30 other top three finishes.
The win was Doucet's third on the seven-race card as the Inverness reinsman moved within nine victories of the 1,000 career milestone mark.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click the following link: Sunday Results - Inverness Raceway.
(Standardbred Canada)