It wasn’t a good day for the favourites in Monday’s $13,200 Preferred events at The Raceway at The Western Fair District, but you won’t hear the connections of Machal Jackson and Natural Forces complaining anytime soon.
Machal Jackson took home top honours in the Preferred handicap for pacers, and he did so in first-over fashion for driver J.R. Plante. The five-year-old son of Mach Three-Warrawee Cammy watched Audreys Dream slice out a :27.1 opening quarter before going after that foe. They battled through middle splits of :56.2 and 1:25.1 before Machal Jackson used a :30.1 final quarter to prevail. He won by 1-3/4 lengths over Royal Outlook in 1:55.2. Race favourite Watermelonwine rallied from last to finish third in the six-horse affair.
Isaac Waxman trains the OSS graduate for Brenda Selwyn Waxman of Dundas and Yin Yee Wong of Oakville, ON. The victory was the gelding’s second of the season and the 14th of his career. He’s stashed away more than $475,000 in career earnings. He paid $6.20.
Natural Forces pulled off a 10-1 upset in the Preferred for trotters when he turned a two-hole trip into a 1:58.2 score for trainer/driver Skip De Mull. The four-year-old son of Lockkeeper-Janies Got A Gun tracked Long Ago through fractions of :29.1, :59.4 and 1:28.3 before getting clearance and using a :29.3 final frame to win by a one-length margin over Daylon Miracle. House Of Cash was third.
The homebred, who is owned by E C S Racing LLC of Rockford, MI, now boasts a 3-1-2 record from 10 trips postward this season. The 24-time winner went over $200,000 in career earnings with the win.
Despite missing nearly a month of racing Just One Day came up very big for Team Holliday in the $8,400 Preferred-2 for trotters. The seven-year-old daughter of Earl-Just One Night led through intervals of :29, 1:00.2 and 1:29.4 before using a :30-second kicker to seal the deal. The margin of victory was 1-1/2 lengths over Zorgwijk Jock and the time for the mile was 1:59.4. CIS Buckeye grabbed the show dough.
Ryan Holliday engineered the winning trip for the Dave Holliday trainee, who now owns a 3-0-1 record from just seven trips to the track this season. Graham Jackson of Listowel, ON bred and owns the career winner of $226,169.
Button Up, who was named the London, ON oval’s Older Pacing Horse of the Year in 2012, used come-from-behind tactics for Team Horner to win the $8,400 Preferred-2 for pacers. The 10-year-old son of Northern Luck-Better Butter enjoyed a two-hole trip behind Winter Blues, who supplied the field with panels of :27.4, :57 and 1:26. The veteran and driver Mike Horner escaped from the garden trip in the late stages of the mile and used a :30.3 closing quarter to win by a half-length margin over Winter Blues in 1:56.4. Race favourite Mach It Big took home the show dough.
Sent off at odds of 8-1, Button Up won for the third time this season and for the 40th time in his career. Mark Horner of St. Marys, ON owns and trains the career winner of $749,021.
To view results for Monday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Monday Results – The Raceway at The Western Fair District