Secret Weapon and Upsidedown are certainly no strangers to the winner’s circle. In fact, going into their Monday assignments they had combined for 88 trips to
victory lane.
That number grew to 90 by the end of the day thanks to the photogenic performers’ scores in the co-featured $13,500 Preferred events
Secret Weapon capped off the 12-race program with a 1:55.1 triumph in his patented come-from-behind fashion. Doug McNair, who had a four-win day at the half-miler, mapped out the winning trip for the Wayne Preszcator pupil who defeated Talk Dirty To me and Daddy Mac.
The seven-year-old son of Western Hanover, who races for partners Barbara Lehman, Robert Patterson and James Lehman, won for the eighth time this season and pushed his lifetime earnings to $357,910 in the process.
Upsidedown squared off with five foes in the Preferred Trot, and for the second consecutive week he took the checkered flag for the high percentage duo of driver Brad Forward and trainer Chris Haskell.
The 10-year-old son of Super Star Ranger was parked every step of the mile while Nobananas laid down fractions of :28.1, :59.4 and 1:29. Upsidedown dug down deep and drew off to win by more than a length in 2:00. Nobananas was the runner-up and Son Of Paige finished third.
Cassie Nantais of Windsor, ON holds the papers on the gelding, who has put together a 7-9-5 record in his 31 trips postward this season. He pushed his 2009 bankroll over $75,000 with the win, and his lifetime total climbed to $456,300.
Mr Excellent jumped up to the $10,000 Preferred-2 level and took advantage of a two-hole trip to pull off a 20-1 upset for the tandem of driver Doug McNair and trainer Dan Creighton.
The four-year-old son of Astreos shadowed a tempo-setting Pacific Prince through splits of :27.4, :58.2 and 1:27.1 before popping the pocket an using a 30-second final frame to post the win. It was more than a length back to runner-up Pacific Prince, while Monster In Law rallied to grab third prize.
Danterra Racing Stable of Strathroy, ON owns the gelding , who won for the sixth time this season and for the 19th time in his career. He has put more than $42,000 on his card in 2009 and close to $160,000 to date.
To view Monday’s harness racing results, click here.