The Per Henriksen-trained Charlie Is A Joker toted a five-race winning streak into his Friday evening assignment at Woodbine Racetrack, and the photogenic gelding had no problem getting the job done again
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With Sylvain Filion calling the shots, Charlie Is A Joker got away fifth from post nine while M Douglas and Pursuit Of Dream battled to the quarter pole in a :28-second before the latter cleared to the top. Chinese Cuisine brushed to the top shortly past the mid-way point in :57.4, but that one was quickly overtaken by Lively going into the last turn. Charlie Is A Joker, who was track Lively’s cover in the backstretch, took on that foe on the way to the three-quarter pole.
There wasn’t much separating the two of them past that marker in 1:26.2, but Charlie Is A Joker began to edge away in the lane. He used a :29-second closing panel to win by three-quarters of a length over M Douglas in a career-best clocking of 1:55.4. Lively weakened late and wound up finishing third.
Sent off at odds of 3-1, the three-year-old son of Angus Hall-Keystone Caprice improved his lifetime record to 9-1-1 from 11 tries for owners Tom and Elizabeth Rankin of St. Catherines, ON. The also bred the career winner of $44,307.
To view results for Friday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Friday Results – Woodbine Racetrack.