He hadn't won a race all year and he wasn't the 1-9 choice on the toteboard, but Its A Fact Jack raced like an unbeatable 1-9 shot in the $26,800 final of the Blossom Park Trotting Series on Thursday night at Rideau Carleton Raceway
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Driver Guy Gagnon placed Its A Fact Jack played catch me if you can with his eight rivals and no one could. After an opening panel in :28.3, Gagnon applied the breaks through a soft :59 half as company came calling to the outside in the form of Carrland Gerald (Ted McDonald). That challenger made a three-wide brush in front of the grandstand at the three-eighths marker to vie for the lead and made it even footing with the leader.
With his competitor drawing near, Gagnon pulled the plugs and asked Its A Fact Jack to kick it up a notch and the gelding responded, drawing away to a four length lead at the 1:27.4 three-quarters, six lengths by the head of the lane and almost eight by the time he hit the wire in 1:58.3. Delta Dental (John MacDonald) gave chase to finish second and Dreamer II (Denis St. Pierre) came in third.
Richard Moreau trains and co-owns Its A Fact Jack (Yentls Image - Years Gone By) with Michel Gaboury of Venise-En-Quebec, Que. After spending the better part of three years with Moreau before being claimed, this is the first win for Its A Fact Jack since August 2009.
Jamie Copley continued his torrid pace as the track's leading trainer, sending out three more winners but only coming back with one. Two were claimed - Artdandy and Art Smile were both plucked out of $8,500 claiming events leaving just Copley with young trotter Credit Balance from tonight's victors.
For Rideau's results, click here.