Match Bayama was in the right place at the right time on Sunday evening at Rideau Carleton Raceway, and as a result he stepped away to win the featured $12,100 Preferred Pace in 1:55.4 for white hot teamster John MacDonald
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The seven-year-old son of Goliath Bayama, who hangs his harness bag in the barn of trainer Sebastien Giroux, worked his way into the two-hole behind Imjustalittleguy. That foe threw down a 28-second opening quarter before backing things down and walking the field to the half in :58.1.
Mild Mannered went on the first-over attack against Imjustalittleguy at that point, and they sprinted to the three-quarter pole in 1:27.1 with Match Bayama still enjoying the garden trip. The final quarter belonged to Match Bayama, who used a :28.2 final frame to propel himself to the one-length decision over Mild Mannered. Imjustalittleguy wound up third.
Sent off at odds of 5-1, Match Bayama registered his eighth win of the 2009 campaign for the Quebec partnership of Les Ecuries Giroux Inc., Claude Giroux and Jacques Caron. The 32-time winner has stashed banked in excess of $77,000 this season and more than $313,000 in his career.
In addition to winning the feature race with Match Bayama, driver John MacDonald made his way to victory lane on six other occasions on the Sunday evening program. The seven-win performance leaves him just one win away from 300 victories this season. He has banked a career high $1.8 million along way.
To view Sunday’s harness racing results, click here.