The trips to London aren’t as regular as they once were for driver Trevor Henry, but he still knows the oval like the back of his hand.
Henry, who has spent a great deal of his time plying his trade on the WEG circuit this year, returned to the half-miler Tuesday evening and produced a five-win performance.
He clicked in the opener with Suckitupbuttercup (1:58) and tacked on wins with Guiness Seelster (Race 5 – 2:00.2), Rutherford Lass (Race 6 – 2:03.2), Topanga Canyon (Race 8 – 1:58.4) and Hawaiian Drummond (Race 10 – 2:01).
The Arthur, Ontario-based horseman leads the nation with 409 wins this season. The career winner of 5,537 has racked up purse earnings in excess of $35 million to date.
A set of Preferred events were contested during the 11-race program, with Shanghai Mimi prevailing against her female foes and Lenny Mac cruising to an easy tally versus her trotting counterparts.
Shanghai Mimi went to the front and didn’t look back in the $7,350 Fillies & Mares Preferred 3 for pacers. Alfie Carroll hustled her off the gate from Post 3 and after chopping out splits of :27.3, :58.2 and 1:28.1 the Victor Puddy pupil only needed a :30.4 closing quarter to seal the deal in 1:59. Rain Cloud Hanover was next best, with third prize earned by Royal Cover Up.
The four-year-old daughter of Shanghai Phil-Canaco Nuget, who was sent off as the 3-5 favourite, is owned by Percy Elkins of Campbellville, Ontario. It was the first win of the season – and the ninth to date – for the career winner of $71,255.
Lenny Mac also used front-stepping tactics to win the $7,000 Preferred 3 for trotters. Scott Coulter grabbed the engine with the three-year-old daughter of Kadabra-Lend A Hand, and she led the field through intervals of :28.4, 1:00.3 and 1:30.4 before finishing off the competition with a :30.4 kicker. She won by 1-1/2 lengths over Keystone Orion in 2:01.3. Taking home the show dough was Valorscross.
The 3-2 favourite, who hangs her harness bag in the barn of trainer Bob McIntosh, is a homebred owned by Robert McIntosh Stables Inc of Windsor and Earl Hill, Jr. of Ohsweken, Ontario.
To view results for Tuesday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Tuesday Results – Western Fair Raceway.