The Francis Guillemette barn was hot on Monday, Nov. 2 at The Raceway at the Western Fair District, winning three on the 12-race program including a pair of longshot winners.
Run Like Hill was the first from the stable to score, pulling an 18-1 upset with driver Samuel Fillion in the $11,500 event for trotters who were non-winners of $4,000 in their last three.
Fillion guided the nine-year-old gelding into third off the wings, where he remained through first-half fractions of :28.2 and :59. Run Like Hill then went on the offensive first-over on the pace-setting Myretirementdream (Austin Sorrie), putting that foe away before fending off a final challenge from Malone (Lorne House) to win by a half-length in 2:00.4.
Guillemette, of Guelph, Ont., owns the Muscle Hill-Smarty Pants gelding who notched his second victory in 33 tries this season. Run Like Hill is a 32-time career winner, banking $305,842 in 228 lifetime tries.
Justine Ray was another upset winner from the same shed row just two races later, rallying up the pacing lane to score at 12-1 with driver Brett MacDonald in a $13,000 conditioned event for filly and mare pacers.
Justine Ray was away third in the early stages while Sunflower Hanover (Brady Galliers) cut the opening quarter in :28. Sunflower Hanover took pressure from Southwind Stratus (Austin Sorrie) through middle-half fractions of :57.4 and 1:26.4 while Justine Ray was shuffled back to fifth along the cones. Justine Ray would then scoot along the cones in the lane, getting the better of Southwind Stratus by a half-length to score in 1:57.
Owned by Michel Letendre of Saint-Jude, Que, Justine Ray has won six of 33 on the year. The four-year-old grey daughter of Shadow Play-Woes Jet Filly has won 16 of 69 lifetime, banking $146,791 in her career.
The final win from the barn was pegged by the bettors, with Arrakis and driver Samuel Fillion heading a Guillemette trained exacta in the event for $9,500 claimers and 14-year-olds.
Arrakis led at every call, bringing the field to the final turn through fractions of :28.4, :59.4, and 1:30. Stablemate Morally Flexible (Austin Sorrie) would take aim up the lightning lane, coming up a quarter-length short of Arrakis who stopped the timer in 2:01.1 as the 1-5 favourite.
Owned by Guillemette, Arrakis hasn't been daunted by age, winning 12 of 32 in his 14-year-old campaign. The Federal Flex-Kawartha An Worthy gelding is a 76-time career winner, banking $865,533 during his 402 start career.
To view Monday's harness racing results, click the following link: Monday Results - Western Fair Raceway.
(Standardbred Canada)