Despite having won two of his last five starts going into Tuesday’s featured $15,000 Preferred Trot at Georgian Downs, Foto erupted for a ginormous upset for
trainer/driver Cindy Horner.
Horner, who co-owns Foto with Gord Horner of Peterborough, ON, watched the four-year-old son of S Js Photo pull away to win by two lengths in a career-best clocking of 1:56.1. And that was music to the ears of the handicappers that backed the gelding at odds of 67-1.
Foto slipped into the four-hole and Mystical Ryan marched to the lead as the starting gate sped away from the nine-horse field. They maintained those positions at the mid-way point in :57.3, but things changed drastically in the third quarter. Foto charged to the lead and opened up a two-length advantage as the teletimer flashed up the next fraction in 1:26.4. A :29.2 final frame was then tacked on by Foto, who easily got the better of Kan Wire and the 1-2 favourite, Logan Aas, who had to settle for the show dough.
It was the 12th win of the season in 34 trips postward for Foto, who went 5-for-23 last year. He stashed away just under $27,000 during last year’s campaign, but he has already racked up more than $65,000 this season. The 16-time winner has more than $92,000 in his lifetime bank account.
Nearly half of the 12-race program was won by driver Jody Jamieson, who added another five wins to his impressive 2009 totals. The Cambridge, Ontario reinsman has now racked up 756 wins on Canadian soil this season, and he continues to lead all North American reinsmen with 765 victories.
To view Tuesday’s harness racing results, click here.