Four-year-old pacing mare Rhythm Of My Art returned to the track after a year and half layoff and provided 23-year-old driver Todd Cantelon with his very first career win on Wednesday night at Georgian Downs
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Finding themselves parked out in fifth early on, Cantelon and Rhythm Of My Art advanced on the outside into second and applied pressure to the leading filly, Kisses N Kicks (Mark Etsell), the rest of the way. Rhythm Of My Art began to get to the leader around the final turn and eventually wore her down in the final strides while holding off the late-closing Rochelle (Aaron Byron). She prevailed in the three-way win photo finish by a nose in 2:02.1 over the sloppy track, which was rated three seconds slow.
The win was the first in 22 career starts for the 23-year-old resident of Thorton, Ont.
For the Camluck-Shape Of My Art mare, it was her second victory in 13 lifetime starts. She is trained by Dale Heard for owner Antonio Tangreda of Kettleby, Ont.
Rhythm Of My Art paid $22.20 as the 10-1 third choice in the field.
In other Wednesday night action, the Camerons Pacing Series continued with round one winner C Major Hanover turning in a repeat performance in the first of three $10,000 second leg divisions. The series is for non-winners of $25,000 lifetime as of November 30, 2011.
C Major Hanover and driver Jame MacDonald advanced first up from fourth after the opening panel and cleared to command by the third quarter station. The son of Art Major out of Clover Hanover then kicked home in :28.4 while expanding his winning margin to four and three-quarter lengths. He stopped the clock in 1:56.1. Mr Big Head (Billy Davis Jr.), another first leg winner, followed came on for second while Abstract Artist (Tony Kerwood) finished over eight lengths behind in third.
C Major Hanover paid $4.20 to win as the odds-on favourite. The win was the three-year-old gelding's second in three starts off the claim for trainer Robert Fellows and his partners, Arpad Szabo of Bradford, Ont. and Michael Magnus of North York, Ont. He is now five-for-16 in his career.
Past Her Eyes, catch-driven by Billy Davis Jr., rallied home from the back of the pack to upset the second division in 1:57.3, shaving one-fifth of a second off his lifetime mark. The three-year-old Island Fantasy-Springtime Killean gelding, a 10-1 longshot off a fifth place effort in the opening round, prevailed by half a length over the popular pacesetter, Full Circle King (Travis Bowman), a first leg winner. Crawfish Creek (Aaron Byron) finished three-quarters of a length behind in third.
Unraced as a two-year-old, Past Her Eyes recorded his eighth win of the season in 14 starts. Ted MacDonnell trains the bay gelding for owners Barry Klages of Owen Sound, Ont. and Thom Christmann of Meaford, Ont. He paid $23.90 for the upset.
Freshman Poppys Bucky Boy front-stepped his way to a 1:57.4 four length victory in the final split for driver Rick Zeron, trainer Rene Laarman and owner Glenview Livestock Ltd. of Wallenstein, Ont. Brians Town (James MacDonald), a 39-1 longshot, rallied from the back of the pack to place while Woodmere Ultimate (Tony Kerwood) rounded out the top three finishers.
Poppys Bucky Boy paid $7.60 to win as the 5-2 second choice. The homebred son of The Panderosa out of Whitesand Trick, who finished third by just three-quarters of a length in the first leg, is now three-for-eight in his career.
Zeron also won this week's $15,000 Preferred 2 Pace as New York invader Redford Hall came charging home from off-the-pace to record his third straight win, returning $20.50 to his backers. The eight-year-old Cambest-Regal Dame gelding wore down front-runner Winter Blues (Billy Davis Jr.) in 1:56.2 by half a length. Mach Of Ballykeel (Jason Brewer) finished nearly two lengths behind in third. Chris Naedele trains the career winner of more than $500,000 for owner Philip Millonzi of East Aurora, New York.
For results from Wednesday night's card of harness racing at Georgian Downs, click the following link: Wednesday Results - Georgian Downs.