The public choices delivered in both $8,600 Not Listed Preferred Handicap events on Sunday night (Nov. 10) at Rideau Carleton Raceway, with LMC Mass Gem ($4.10) and National Debt ($2.90) delivering in their respective events.
In the featured trot (race five), LMC Mass Gem and Jacques Beaudoin sustained a first-over ascent to collar early pacesetter Pasadena Star (Stephane Pouliot) on the final turn before holding off a late charge from the second-over Revenue Agent (Pascal Berube) by a diminishing head in 1:57.4. Beaudoin co-owns LMC Mass Gem with Maurice Houle, Ronald Charette and Andre Beaudoin. Johanne Begin trains the five-year-old Muscle Mass gelding, who notched his fourth consecutive win in the nation's capital.
The featured pace (race seven) saw National Debt and Pascal Berube sustain a similar uncovered push to the fore up the backstretch before evading Atomic Million AM (Jonathan Lachance) to win by two lengths in 1:53.4 after a dominant 1:54.2 score at Hippoodrome 3R last week. Yves Tessier trains National Debt, an eight-year-old Allamerican Native gelding, for François Morin.
The first annual Michael Schaefer Memorial Pace was contested earlier on in the card (race three), and it was the John MacMillan-trained and Ryan Guy-driven Roczen Hanover ($17.50) that recorded a one and three-quarter-length win in 1:55.4 off of a pocket trip.
Roczen Hanover is owned by 2099551 Ontario Inc. of Greely, Ont. and John Macmillan of Odessa, Ont. The win meant a lot to Glenn Pearson, of 2099551 Ont. Inc., who told Trot Insider “this was a particular sweet win, as we had horses trained and driven by Mike for many years.”
Schaefer, a longtime Standardbred horseman, passed away on Saturday, September 28, just three days after his 74th birthday. For more on Schaefer’s passing, click here.
Mike Schaefer, pictured with Armbro Topaz during his driving days.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click the following link: Sunday Results - Rideau Carleton Raceway.