Favourite Can I Say delivered on her pari-mutuel promise with a front-stepping score in Friday night's featured $11,000 Preferred 2 Trot at Flamboro Downs.
Garrett Whelan sent the five-year-old daughter of Fourth And One to the lead early on and fronted the field through fractions of :28.3, :58.4 and 1:28.1 en route to the 1:57.2 triumph with inside assignee Winkys Pride (Scott Coulter) following three-quarters of a length behind. Finishing two and a half lengths back, Smarty Pants (J.R. Plante) edged out Tornado Tim (Daniel O'Brian) for show.
Trainer Jim Whelan shares ownership of Can I Say with Terry and Clarence Devos of Langton, Ont. She has now won four of her seven races in the Preferred 2 class at Flamboro Downs this year and has never missed a cheque for seasonal earnings of $26,620. Lifetime, the homebred mare has won 18 times in 50 starts and sports a bankroll of $273,215.
Can I Say paid $2.60 to win as the 1-5 bettors' choice.
In the $7,000 Preferred 3, Excellence went wide down the backstretch to earn her 10th win of the year by a quarter-length over Igottokeeponmoving (Plante) in 1:58.3 with Robert Shepherd driving for Ian and Susan Downey.
In other action, 12-year-old pacer Fleet Sensation held on by a neck to win for the 50th time in his career. The How Fleet He Is gelding prevailed in 1:58.1 -- his seventh victory this year -- while making his first start for horseman Kelly Sheppard, who is now just one win away from a milestone of his own. Sheppard's next driving win will be his 2,000th lifetime.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Flamboro Downs.