Best Show In Town was the beneficiary of a perfect pocket trip on Sunday evening in Rideau Carleton Raceway’s $12,100 Preferred Pace, and the roan gelding knew exactly what to do with it when shown some racetrack in the lane
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With Guy Gagnon at the controls, Best Show In Town rolled the five-horse field to the quarter pole in :27.1 before giving way to Imjustalittleguy. That foe sprinted to the mid-way point in :55.3 with race favourite Nocturnal applying first-over pressure. Those two exchanged punches to the three-quarter pole in 1:23.3, with Best Show In Town lurking in the garden spot awaiting the stretch drive.
Gagnon found clearance in the late stages with Best Show In Town, and the Gerard Demers-trained seven-year-old son of Grinfromeartoear kicked home in :29.4 to post the quarter-length decision over Imjustalittleguy in 1:53.3. Red Leaf Again rallied to grab the show dough.
It was the 11th win of the season and the 43rd lifetime tally for Best Show In Town, who is owned by 9174 7998 Quebec Inc. of Blainville, QC. The lion’s share of the purse boosted his lifetime earnings to $385,653.
Driver John MacDonald made five trips to the winner’s circle on Sunday evening, and in doing so he bumped his win total to 325 at Rideau Carleton Raceway for the 2009 campaign.
The leading teamster at the oval swept the first two races with Search Mission (1:58.4) and Renoir C C (1:58) before returning to victory lane with Bolero Tesoro (1:56.4) in Race 5. Atomic Ideal (1:54.4) gave him the Grand Slam thanks to his triumph in Race 7 and an off-the-pace triumph with Le Moras Big Guy (1:58.1) in the finale pushed his nightly win total to five.
MacDonald, who currently sits with 354 wins this season, is in the midst of a career year for both wins and purses earned. His yearly purse haul sits at $1,657,874. He is on the verge of surpassing $8 million in career earnings.
To view Sunday’s harness racing results, click here.