The Clyde River, P.E.I. duo of Brodie and Ambyr MacPhee made their Friday entry at Flamboro Downs a winning one.
Boomerforpresident was a winner in 1:59.3 with Brodie MacPhee in the bike, his older sister, Ambyr MacPhee, is the trainer.
The four-year-old Presidential Ball horse came into Ambyr's care on December 13, and she gave the horse a very light schedule leading up to his race.
"We gave him a little bit of time in the paddock to freshen him up, jogged him a few days and raced him," Ambyr said.
She had high expectations leading into the race.
"I took a look at his class and thought he was the best if he was on his game at all."
This was Brodie's second time driving Boomerforpresident, who is owned by New Brunswick native James Ross. He says he had to make some quick decisions when the wings of the starting gate folded.
"I saw the 1, 2 and 3 weren't leaving real hard, and there were a couple of longshots inside. So I figured if he felt good I'd float him out a little bit," Brodie said. "Joe Hudon with the 1 horse (Southern Watch) was, I thought, the one to beat. He let me go as soon as we straightened onto the backstretch, he could've taken me but I figured he'd want to ride behind the best, and sure enough he did."
Brodie then got to the quarter in :28.4, leaving Scott Zeron and Hummyounow parked out.
"I don't like to see anybody parked, and I know Scotty a bit, I drove against him in Newfoundland. I said to myself 'I better not' (let him go) because I was likely going to get caught behind him. He was three-wide and we were going along pretty good, and he was 10-1. So that combination of things and I didn't figure I could let him go there."
Zeron then began to fade and Scott Coulter with Allamerican Odin quickly came three-wide and grabbed the lead, while Brodie was trying to back down a quarter in 31 seconds for a half in :59.4.
When asked if he saw Coulter coming, Brodie's answer was quick.
"No, he caught me asleep actually. I was trying to get a breather, and he came brushing that hard."
Boomerforpresident then retook the lead up the backstretch through three-quarters in 1:29.2, and fought off a late charge by Southern Watch and driver Joe Hudon to win by half a length.
"Turning for home I thought maybe I was beat, but my horse saw (Southern Watch) coming. I spoke to (Boomerforpresident), and tapped him on the tail and he dug in again."
Ambyr was very pleased to get her first win in Ontario since she moved her small stable from Prince Edward Island in mid-November.
"It's pretty exciting," Ambyr said. "I like it here and as long as things keep going the way they are, my plans are definitely to stay here."
To view Flamboro’s results from Friday, click here.
(By Nicholas Oakes, a journalism student at Holland College, Charlottetown, P.E.I., and a columnist with Atlantic Post Calls)