Pacific Oak and trainer/driver Kenny Oliver won a game of “catch me if you can” in Monday’s feature race – the $18,400 Preferred Pace - at Western Fair Raceway.
The five-year-old son of Pacific Rocket rolled the field through panels of :28.1, :59 and 1:27.4 before kicking out a :29.2 final frame en route to the three-length score in 1:57.1. XLB Patrick was second and C Ws Special finished third.
Pacific Oak, who races for Shirley & Kerry House of St. Jacobs, ON, has put together a 7-6-3 record this season from 31 trips postward. He has banked $163,281 to date.
A Fiesty Affair used a front-stepping approach to stake claim to her second consecutive victory in the $15,200 Ontario-sired Fillies & Mares Preferred Pace for the duo of trainer Casie Coleman and driver Brad Forward.
Forward had the three-year-old Camluck miss on the motor through splits of :29, :58.4 and 1:28 before finishing seven rivals with a :30-second final quarter. Second in the 1:58 affair was Pride Of Dilinger while Lady Mach grabbed the show dough.
Owned and bred by Bob Hamather of Exeter, ON, A Fiesty Affair improved her 2008 record to 4-5-1 in 20 starts while bumping this year’s bankroll to $138,837. She boasts $250,742 in lifetime earnings.
Button Up also used a front-end approach to take home the lion’s share of the $12,800 purse offered in the first of two Preferred 2 tilts for pacers.
Mike Horner, who started from the second tier with the five-year-old son of Northern Luck, had his charge out and rolling at the :29-second first frame before seizing command. From there, he ripped off fractions of :59.2 and 1:28.4 before sealing the deal with a :29.1 closing quarter.
R J Chap was second best in the 1:58.2 affair while Oakley Seelster rallied from the backfield to grab the show dough.
Mark Horner conditions the pacer for the Sure Gain Stable of Mitchell, ON. In 32 starts this season the OSS graduate has managed to assemble a 6-5-1 record while banking $84,178. He has $448,294 in lifetime earnings.
Must Be Matt took the other Preferred 2 event for pacers, but he used off-the-pace tactics to notch the win for the team of trainer Ross Siddall and driver Henry.
The six-year-old son of Barnett Hanover came first-over and eventually wore down pacesetter Blissed Out en route to a one-length score in 1:58.2. Dextra Effort came on to grab the runner-up while Cuban Seelster took home third prize.
With the win, Joseph & Beverley Santarossa’s homebred improved to 3-1-0 in 10 starts this season and he pushed his lifetime earnings over $400,000.
To view Monday’s results, click here.