Four-year-old Light The Torch earned himself a new speed badge, and 44-year-old Robert Shepherd pushed his lifetime purse earnings over a significant plateau during the card of harness racing at Rideau Carleton Raceway on Thursday, Nov. 28.
Light The Torch connected in the Thursday feature at Rideau Carleton, the $10,000 Preferred Pace. Sent off as the 2-1 second choice, Light The Torch and driver Pascal Berube raced most of the mile in second as Flash Cube (Marie-Claude Auger) fronted the sextet through fractions of :26.4, :56 and 1:24. Favoured Early Action (Robert Shepherd) forged first up the middle fractions and got to within a neck of the leader at three-quarters, but couldn't get by.
Thus, Flash Cube towed Light The Torch into the head of stretch with a perfect pocket ride, and Pascal pointed his pupil to the passing lane when that opening appeared. Light The Torch understood his assignment from there, and blazed home for the lifetime best 1:53.1 score. Longshot Montysgonemarble (Jimmy Gagnon) edged out Flash Cube for second, with those foes three parts of a length back of the eventual winner.
Marc-Andre Simoneau of Trois-Rivières, Que. trains and co-owns Light The Torch with Jean Fontaine of Trois-Rivières. Now a 10-time winner this season, Light The Torch (Always B Miki - Surfer Chick) sports 16 career victories with more than $112,000 in earnings. He returned $6.10 to win.
While Shepherd didn't connect in that event, his night was still memorable. Picking up cheques in five of the night's races, Shepherd eclipsed $30 million in career purse earnings.
One of Canada's top reinsmen over the past two decades, Robert Shepherd counts 4,244 lifetime driving wins in addition to his $30,000,667 in purses. The resident of Mirabel, Que. represented the Quebec-Eastern Ontario region in the 2024 National Driving Championship and ranked second in the nation in wins on three occasions (2008, 2018 and 2019). Now competing mainly at Hippodrome 3R and Rideau Carleton, he ranks in the top four drivers at both circuits.
For the results from the card of harness racing just outside of Ottawa, click the following link: Thursday Results - Rideau Carleton Raceway.
(Standardbred Canada)