Classic Call wired four other Preferred pacers to win the featured $15,000 Fred Sadler Memorial on Saturday night at Western Fair Raceway.
The race was named in honour of the late Fred Sadler, who passed away in January this year. The native of Parkhill, Ont. was a fixture at the London, Ont. track for several decades and was the leading driver there in both 1984 and 1993.
The field for the Sadler Memorial Pace was reduced to five with outside assignees Hare Craft and Beach Buff scratched sick. Leaving from post two, Classic Call and driver Stuart Sowerby established the lead and carved out fractions of :28, :57.3, and 1:26.2 en route to the 1:55 score. In The Irons (Robert Shepherd) finished three-quarters of a length behind off a pocket trip and Franceschetti (Mike Horner) rounded out the top three finishers.
Classic Call paid $16.90 to win for second consecutive week and fourth time this year.
The homebred four-year-old son of Your Nemesis, who has won six times in his career while earning $128,752 in purses, is trained and owned by Stephen Gillard of Tavistock, Ont.
The Middlesex County Series for male trotters began with three $8,000 first leg divisions earlier on the card.
Cracker Zack kicked off the series action with a 2:04 victory for trainer-driver Carman Hie.
Cracker Zack worked his way to the lead from the outside post six during a :29-second opening panel and went unchallenged through middle panels of 1:00.4 and 1:32.1 in a field full of breakers en route to a two length victory. Favourite Impressive (Daniel Potvin) and Nicks Guy (Jeff O’Brien) finished second and third.
Sent postward a the 3-1 third choice, Cracker Zack paid $8 to win for the second time in seven starts during his debut year. The sophomore son of Angus Hall is owned and bred by Carman Hie Stable Inc. of Rockwood, Ont., J. Peter Kloepfer of Harley, Ont., and Blake Anthony of Millgrove, Ont.
Favourite Freddiesboybristle romped to a 2:03.1 four length victory in the following division for catch-driver Bruce Richardson and trainer Suzy Kerwood.
Freddiesboybristle left from post six and cleared to command after the :30.2 opening quarter mark. He then proceeded to the half in 1:01.1 and three-quarters in 1:32.2 before opening up on the field for his fifth win in 10 seasonal starts. Ja El Blaze (Stuart Sowerby) followed in second with first over challenger Magical Merlin (Nick Steward) rounding out the top three finishers.
The three-year-old Ken Warkentin colt is owned by Robert Robinson and Jacqueline Dinelle of Metcalfe, Ont., along with M. Shawn Camp and Steven Bray of Guelph, Ont. He paid $4.50 to win.
Legal Herb broke his maiden with a 2:02.4 winning effort in the final division for driver Mark Williams and trainer William Kirkpatrick.
Legal Herb found himself 16 lengths off the leader early on, but made up that ground with half of the field making breaks, and then created a seven length surplus by the time he reached the wire. Brenwaycayne (Gary Rivest) and pacesetter Uncle Jack (Bob McClure) finished second and third.
The 18-1 longshot returned $39.50 to his backers. The three-year-old Here Comes Herbie colt, who was making just the fourth start of his career, is owned and bred by Pamela Loomis of Grosse Pointe, Michigan.
The Middlesex County Series is for Ontario-sired trotters that are four years old and younger and non-winners of $10,000 lifetime as of midnight September 1, 2012. The second leg will take place on Saturday, November 10 followed by the $45,000 (added) final on Saturday, November 17.
To view Saturday’s harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Western Fair Raceway.