Preferred pacers were out in full force on Friday night as Woodbine Racetrack hosted three $30,000-plus events for the top talent.
Highlighting the 13-race card was a 1:50.4 last-to-first winning effort by Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final champion Camaes Fellow in the $38,000 Preferred Pace
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Using his gate speed, Major Hottie (Keith Oliver) fired off the gate from the outside Post 7 starting spot in the 12th race feature and worked his way to the top during a :26.2 first quarter.
The early speedster continued to led the field down the backstretch to the half in :55.1 before coming under attack. Kindly Poet (Rick Zeron) was flushed first up from fourth and went head-to-head with Major Hottie past the 1:23 three-quarters mark with slight favourite Good Bad Lucky (Luc Ouellette) and early trailer Camaes Fellow, driven by Doug McNair, following his cover.
Kindly Poet took over command at the top of the stretch, but couldn't hold off the late-closers. The fastest of them all was Camaes Fellow, who sprinted home in :26.4 for his sixth win of the year in 22 starts. The time of the mile was just three-fifths of a second off his lifetime mark, taken in the Nov. 12 Super Final. Mystician (Jody Jamieson) manoeuvred out of the pocket to get up for second, missing the mark by three-quarters of a length, and Good Bad Lucky finished one length behind in third.
Camaes Fellow now boasts a bankroll of $441,588, most of which was earned in 2011. Tony O'Sullivan trains the sophomore son of Mach Three out of Camae for owner Frank Bellino of Bronxville, New York.
Camaes Fellow paid $7.20 to win as the close 5-2 third choice.
The victory was part of a driving double for McNair.
In the Preferred 2 Pace, veteran pacer Secret Weapon recorded one of his fastest victories in the last five years of racing with a 1:51 off-the-pace effort.
Lennon Blue Chip (Jody Jamieson) crossed over in front of Fitzs Z Tam (Luc Ouellette) to establish the early lead during a :26.4 opening panel, but the pocket-sitter became the front-runner as they approached the half-mile mark in :56.1.
Meanwhile, driver Scott Young had this year's Gold Cup & Saucer Consolation winner, Secret Weapon, rolling out from sixth and the favoured duo advanced on the outside to the next station in 1:23.4.
Down the stretch, Secret Weapon closed with a fury, sweeping past Fitzs Z Tam and drawing away to score the victory by one and a half lengths. His final quarter was clocked in :26.1. Im Feelin Good (Keith Oliver) followed the winner's cover to place while Peenie (Anthony MacDonald), who sat third for most of the mile, was a pylon-skimming third.
Secret Weapon has won 13 of his 28 races as a nine-year-old to earn $118,690 for trainer Wayne Preszcator and the Secret Weapon Stables of Waterloo, Ont. The Western Hanover-Falcons Secret gelding now boasts 49 wins on his lifetime record with earnings totalling $572,250.
Secret Weapon, a Bet Canadian campaign pick, paid $6 to win as the 2-1 popular choice.
Earlier on the program, driver Keith Oliver took aim and fired the Blake MacIntosh-owned and trained Bullet Point to command down the backside and held off Warrawee Koine to win the $35,000 Fillies & Mares Preferred Pace. The victory was Oliver's third in a row during the first half of the Friday night program.
Inside starter Queen Of Royalty (Luc Ouellette) fired off a :26.3 opening quarter in the fifth race before Oliver sent Bullet Point after the early leader from third. The Mcardle-Drawing Card mare cleared to command as they passed by the :55.1 half-mile pole and she proceeded to the next marker in 1:23.
Meanwhile, Warrawee Koine (Jody Jamieson) had launched a first over attack from fourth and she moved up alongside Bullet Point as they entered the stretch.
Digging in down the lane, Bullet Point was able to hold off that rival to record her ninth win of the season in 35 starts. Warrawee Koine finished a neck behind in second while Mystical Diva (Mike Saftic) rounded out the top three. The winning time of 1:51.4 was just three-fifths of a second off Bullet Point's lifetime mark.
The 14-time career winner lifted his earnings to $139,470 for 2011 and $227,724 lifetime.
She paid $5.60 to win as the 9-5 favourite.
Preferred trotters will face off during the Boxing Day card on Monday, Dec. 26, which begins at 1:20 p.m.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Woodbine Racetrack.