Avenging his nose loss last week to Crossfit, Fix A Drink matched his lifetime mark with a front-stepping score in the featured $10,000 Preferred Handicap Trot on Thursday evening (Nov. 16) at Rideau Carleton Raceway.
Leaving from post four in rein to Jimmy Gagnon, 3-5 favourite Fix A Drink secured the lead during a :28 opening quarter ahead of Current Danger (Robert Shepherd), who fired first off the starting gate to his inside. As Fix A Drink led the compact field of five through middle splits of :57.3 and 1:26.2, his 4-5 rival Crossfit (Guy Gagnon) moved underway from fourth with three-eighths to go and steadied up the backside after putting in a few steps. Despite making late gains, Crossfit had to settle for second this time out as he could not catch Fix A Drink, who won by three-quarters of a length in 1:55.1. Current Danger followed back in third with broken equipement.
Fix A Drink, who has now won three of his last four Preferred starts while partnered with Gagnon, paid $3.50 to win. He matched his lifetime mark taken last year at Rideau and has now won seven of his 22 starts this season. Pierre Leclerc trains and co-owns the six-year-old Angus Hall-Tara Emerald gelding, a career winner of 18 races and just over $90,000, with breeder Shaun Baines.
To view Thursday's harness racing entries, click the following link: Thursday Entries - Rideau Carleton Raceway.