Summit City Nate ($7.40) mounted a first-over ascent with well over a circuit to go, dueled down his pacesetting stablemate, and drew away powerfully to a 1:59.2 victory in Wednesday night’s (Feb. 7) featured $8,500 Preferred 3 trotting event at The Raceway at Western Fair District.
Summit City Nate, away just off the front flight, worked to close the three-hole off from Ionia (Nick Steward) on the first turn after being outsprinted there by Star Photo (Alfie Carroll) and Thee Desperado (Lorne House). After stalking a :29.1 quarter from behind a gapping pocket sitter, Doug McNair angled Summit City Nate off the pegs with five-eighths to go, and the six-year-old Justice Hall gelding advanced steadily to make five lengths in the stretch on the first occasion. By a :59.1 half-mile split, he was at the flank of his stablemate Star Photo, he was a head in front midway on the clubhouse turn, and he worked clear with five-sixteenths to go before gaining solid separation on the final turn.
While a grueling :28.4 third quarter left Summit City Nate gasping in the final sixteenth, he had amassed enough clearance to maintain 2-3/4 lengths of separation over Windsun Hugo (Robert Shepherd), who circled three-wide off the home turn to take second a sixteenth from home. Star Photo faded to third.
Summit City Nate registered his 20th career win and his second in three starts for trainer Vic Puddy and owners Keith Cassell, Dr. John Tobin, and Limco, Inc.
To view Wednesday’s harness racing results, click the following link: Wednesday Results – The Raceway at Western Fair District.