Horse stung 4-5 favourite Dontmesswithles through a taxing first quarter before emerging from the pocket and collaring him in the final yards of a 1:50.1 mile over a sloppy track in the $15,000 Winners Over pacing feature on Monday, March 31 at Rosecroft Raceway.
In line to trainer Billy Carter, Horse split Racer Pacer (Lucas Myers) and Dontmesswithles (Roger Plante Jr.) to take the lead approaching the first turn before yielding to Dontmesswithles for a pocket ride through splits of :26.1, :54.3 and 1:22 over a rain-soaked track. Midway around the final turn, Carter angled Horse off the pegs and the eight-year-old Vertical Horizon-Lady Annie gelding lunged to collar the pacesetter by a half length. Racer Pacer stayed on for third, three-quarters of a length farther back, up the open stretch.
William Daggett Jr. and Lawrence Vukovic own Horse, who paid $13.80 to win while recording his third success of the season from nine outings.
The victory was the Manitoba-bred pacer's 25th lifetime and pushed his earnings over the $200,000 mark. The Alberta Sires Stakes graduate was bred by Winnipeg's Trevor Williams.
Earlier on the card, Sams Triple Crown scored the 50th win of his career when he soared to a 5-1/2-length, 1:51.2 score over Lenda Hand Man in a $10,714 conditioned pace. Lucas Myers drove the 11-year-old Art Official-Podges Lady gelding to the milestone win for owner/trainer Jerry Nock.
More than $9,000 in carryovers will await players when racing returns to Rosecroft on Wednesday, April 2: $2,946.52 in the 50-cent Pick-5 (Races 3-7) and $6,462.82 in the 50-cent Jackpot Hi-5 (Race 10). First post for the 13-race card, which features an Open Handicap Trot and a Winners Over distaff pace, is 7:15 p.m.
(With files from Rosecoft Raceway)