Keystone Velocity turned in a dazzling 1:47.3 track record performance to win the second edition of the $100,000 Potomac Pace over defending champion All Bets Off on Sunday evening (November 5) at Rosecroft Raceway.
Dan Dube drove the son of Western Hanover for trainer Rene Allard and owners Allard Racing Inc. of Saint-Esprit, Que., Kapildeo Singh of Yorktown Heights, New York, Earl Hill Jr. of Ohsweken, Ont., and VIP Internet Stable LLC of Piscataway, New Jersey.
Breeders Crown champion and 8-5 favourite Split The House (driver Brett Miller) fired across the track from the outside post to lead the field of nine through hot fractions of :25.3, :53.1 and 1:20.1 before giving way and ending up last, beaten five and three-quarter lengths.
Mach It So (David Miller) followed in the pocket while All Bets Off tipped out from third and confronted Split The House heading to the final turn with Keystone Velocity tracking his cover from fourth.
"With those fast fractions and a good second-over trip, he likes to finish strong like that," said Dube. "I liked my chances turning for home."
Keystone Velocity closed off cover in :27 to win by one and a half lengths over All Bets Off, with Dealt A Winner (Brent Holland) coming from third-over to edge out Mach It So for third prize.
Rebounding from a 10th place finish in the Breeders Crown, Keystone Velocity was sent postward at odds of 6-1 (fourth choice) and paid $14.80 to win. He has now won eight of 22 starts this season. Keystone Velocity, also a winner of the Levy Series Final and Ben Franklin this year, has put together a career-best campaign at age nine banking $788,610 to make him a millionaire.
The former track record of 1:48.2 was held by Nuclear Breeze (2007) and All Bets Off (2016 Potomac Pace).