With the stage to itself for a super Sunday (Feb. 11) of action at Flamboro Downs, it was Radio Lab who stole the show in the featured $10,000 conditioned trot, which highlighted the dozen-race card.
Concluding the first half of the card, Radio Lab left from post two in the field of eight non-winners of $65,000 lifetime trotters. Driver Ed Hensley landed in the fifth position in the early stages with the 3-5 favourite while Sicario and Brett MacDonald led to the first quarter in :28.3.
Hensley flushed the cover of Delcrest Brent and Steven Hudon on the way to the half to find himself second-over in fifth while Sicario continued to lead to that station in :59.1. Hensley tipped Radio Lab three-deep off the third turn, quickly surging beyond his stalled cover up the backstretch to reach the leader's wheel at three-quarters in 1:28.2.
Sicario braced for the challenge along the pylons as the duo trotted as a team to the top of the lane. In the stretch, Radio Lab was able to finally get by a stubborn Sicario with a :29 final quarter to win by two lengths on the line in 1:57.3. Impressive Dude and Jason Ryan finished third.
The victory was the first of the season and 10th in the career of the five-year-old gelded son of Crazed-Warrawee Jade, co-owned by Ed Hensley along with trainer Ashleigh Hensley. The victory brought Radio Lab's career earnings to $142,144 and was one of two wins on the card for Ed Hensley, who also scored in the evening's 11th race with Procrastinator for trainer Michelle Leblanc.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click the following link: Sunday Results - Flamboro Downs.
(Standardbred Canada)