Preferred trotters and pacers converged at Western Fair Raceway for a special 16-race Boxing Day card on Saturday and trainer Chris Haskell enjoyed a perfect day capturing two of the five features
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Favourite Headpoles R Us and Mike Whelan crossed over from the outermost six post in the $11,500 Fillies & Mares Preferred Handicap Pace and carved out panels of :28.3, 1:00.4 and 1:31 en route to a three and a half length score in 2:01 over a sloppy oval. D M Marion (Doug McNair) and Desir (Aaron Byron) finished second and third.
Windsor’s Ron Haskell owns the consistent five-year-old, a daughter of Bo Knows Jate-Ashboro, who has turned in 17 winning performances in 24 starts this year. With today's win, Headpoles R Us pushed her seasonal bankroll over the $100,000 mark.
Trainer Chris Haskell also sent out the winner of the $13,500 Preferred Trot. Whelan and 10-year-old Upsidedown advanced to the lead from third, reaching the front at the half. The 3-2 popular choice led the rest of the way to notch his third straight victory at the Preferred level for owner Cassie Nantais of Windsor.
The son of Super Star Ranger-M S Vale stopped the clock in 2:03.4 while Long Ago (Dan Clemmer) finished two and a half lengths behind and Twin B Excalibur (Mike Horner) rounded out the top three.
Upsidedown has compiled a record reading 8-9-5 in 32 seasonal starts earning $81,759.
Im Classy provided trainer Wayne Langille with one of his two wins on the card in the $10,000 Preferred 2 Trot. Gord Rayner guided the six-year-old son of Eager Seelster-Classy N Sassy wire-to-wire to win by nearly eight lengths in 2:02.3 for owner and breeder Lorena Chapple of Harley, Ont.
Mr Go (Jonathan Drury) was the runner-up to Im Classy, the 5-1 fourth choice, while Southwind Califon (Dave Wall) finished third.
For Im Classy, the win was his fourth in 10 outings this year and bumped his earnings to $18,875.
In the $13,500 Preferred Pace, The Steelman converted a pocket trip into a 7-1 surprise for driver Terry Kerr and trainer Terry Deters. The five-year-old son of Blissfull Hall-Seaoftears Mindale used a :31-second final quarter to win by a half-length over Ghost Hunter (Aaron Byron), who rallied off the cover of favourite Compass Connection (Bruce Richardson). Pacesetter Part Shark (Doug McNair) finished fourth behind the bettor's choice.
The Steelman picked up his second straight win and sixth of season in 28 starts. The lion’s share of the purse lifted his 2009 earnings to $44,763 for Steel A Mile LLC of Holland, Michigan.
One race later in the $10,000 Preferred 2 Pace, Cuban Seelster, teamed with Nick Steward, delivered on his pari-mutuel promise with a triumphant gate-to-wire effort in 2:00.3. Beach Boy Toy (Mike Sumner) finished one and quarter lengths behind in second with Oakley Seelster (Bruce Richardson) completing the triactor.
Ray Bunn trains and co-owns the five-year-old son of Intrepid Seelster-Calendar Girl with McCarthy Family Farms Ltd. of Granton, Dr. Tara Foy of Ailsa Craig and Don Thomson of St. Marys, Ont.
Cuban Seelster, a winner of four races in 31 starts this year, has banked $63,312.
To view Saturday's results, click here.