Spartan Victory seized the lead off the gate and returned to his winning ways in Sunday's featured $11,000 Preferred 2 Handicap Trot at Flamboro Downs.
After an assigned eight-hole yielded a fifth-place result last week, Spartan Victory, who fashioned wire-to-wire winning efforts in his two prior Preferred 2 starts, reverted to his front-end tactics on Sunday with success.
Ryan Holliday fired the Hard Rock N Roll gelding out for the lead from post six into the first turn and carved out panels of :27.3, :57.4 and 1:27.1 en route to a 1:58.2 triumph. He paid $10.40 to win as a the 4-1 fourth choice in the nine-horse affair. Dragin The Wagon advanced first over from mid-pack to finish second, one length behind the winner, with 8-5 favourite Lexis D J coming through the passing lane for third off a locked-in, three-hole trip.
Spartan Victory earned his ninth win of the year from 24 starts and bumped his annual income to $53,775. The eight-year-old trotter is owned and trained by Bradley Pittock of London, Ont.
Following a close second-place showing at the Preferred 2 level for pacers, Linda Wellwood's Sir Machalot ($6.30) delivered as the favourite in a $7,500 Preferred 3 event on Sunday's card, winning in 1:55.2 for trainer/driver Lyle MacArthur. The five-year-old Mach Three gelding, who went first over after lap one and made the lead at the third quarter mark, was over four lengths the best at the finish, with Blue Chip Sunshine and Monte Cristo completing the top three.
In other action, claiming pacer Hellsapoppin ($2.40) earned his sixth straight victory (and seventh win in eight starts racing from Patrick Shepherd's stable) for owner Stephen Morton of Windsor, N.S. J.R. Plante drove the nine-year-old Sand Olls Dexter gelding to his latest 1:57.3 triumph, sweeping around pacesetter Vijayscam entering the final turn and prevailing by nearly three lengths. Give Em Heck came on late to edge out Vijayscam for the second-place honours.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Flamboro Downs.