Preferred pacers Acceptable Risk and Monster In Law kept the excitement going right until the wire as they each prevailed by less than a length in their respective assignments featured on the Monday night card of live harness racing at Western Fair Raceway
.
Acceptable Risk turned back a challenge from favourite Blissfull Breeze and held off the pylon-skimming Twin B Brat to win the $15,000 Preferred Pace by a head in 1:58.2 over the 'good' track rated two seconds slow. Allamerican Motive finished one length behind in third after rallying off the cover of fourth-place finisher Blissfull Breeze.
Trevor Henry worked out the winning trip for the eight-year-old Intrepid Seelster-Southernbound Lady gelding, which was one of four on the 12-race card for The Raceway's leading reinsman.
Acceptable Risk, a career winner of more than $673,000, is owned by trainer David Morrissey of Ailsa Craig, Ont., and partners Daniel McCann and William Woodburn of Parkhill, Ont. His 2011 record now reads 9-10-6 in 28 starts with close to $100,000 earned in purses.
The winner returned $7.20 as the 5-2 second choice.
One race earlier, Monster In Law made a monster three-wide move at the third quarter station and plowed home to score the 1:59.1 triumph in the $11,000 Preferred 2 Pace for driver Paul MacKenzie. The odds-on favourite prevailed by three-quarters of a length over the quick-closing 51-1 longshot, Western Churchill (Alex Lilley), while the pocket-sitting Button Up (Mike Horner) finished over one length behind in third.
Don Beatson of Granton, Ont. trains and co-owns the six-year-old Northern Luck-Family Effort gelding, who is a career winner of nearly $345,000, with Kenneth Beatson of Palgrave, Ont., and Sandra and Ralph Pitt of Cargill, Ont. Monster In Law improved his seasonal record to 4-6-9 in 34 starts and pushed his 2011 earnings past the $60,000 mark.
Monster In Law paid $4.20 to win.
To view Monday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Monday Results - Western Fair Raceway.