Mercutio made his presence felt in the $12,000 Preferred Handicap Trot on Tuesday, April 22 at The Raceway at Western Fair District, romping to victory while matching the track record for aged trotting stallions.
Leaving from post four as the 4-5 choice with Scott Young in the bike, Mercutio got away third early while The Great Reset (Lorne House) sprinted to a hot opening quarter of :27.4. The Great Reset backed things down to the half in :58.1 when Young tipped the favourite off the cones from third. Mercutio motored first-over, trotting around The Great Reset and clearing just beyond three-quarters of 1:28.
Momentum carried Mercutio to a 1-1/2-length lead turning for home as The Great Reset tried to counter from the pocket. Mercutio opened up in the lane, trotting away by 3-1/2 lengths on the wire to stop the timer in 1:56.3. The Great Reset held for second, with Treasured Tee (Samuel Fillion) finishing in the third position.
Owned and trained by Shane Arsenault, Mercutio has won two of his three starts on the year and 15 times in his career. The six-year-old son of Bar Hopping-Frisky Magic has banked $193,641 for his career.
The 1:56.3 clocking matched the track record for aged trotting stallions established by Zorgwijk Jock established on May 1, 2013. The time was one second off the overall male trotting record set last May by Mercutio's gelded rival The Great Reset.
Later on the card in the finale, Wry and Travis Henry pulled a 7-1 upset to snag the $12,000 Preferred Pace.
Leaving from the outside post seven, Wry settled in fifth early while 2-5 favourite Hollys Treasure (Tyler Borth) cut the quarter in :28. The outer flow developed off the second turn, with P L Oliver (Daryl Thiessen) moving from third to challenge the leader at the half in :58.2 while Wry was positioned third-over from fifth at that point. Henry gave Wry his marching orders on the backstretch, surging three-wide and within three lengths of Hollys Treasure as he reached the three-quarter pole in 1:26.1.
Wry continued to surge three-wide around the final turn but still had three horses to pass turning for home. Hollys Treasure remained game on the lead, but Wry continued to rally with a :28.2 final quarter, nailing Hollys Treasure by a half-length on the wire in 1:55.1. Pocket-sitter Sportsline (Lorne House) finished third, a length behind the winner.
A winner in three of his last four starts at the Preferred level, Wry is trained by Gerard Demers for owner Yannick Marquis. The five-year-old gelded son of Artspeak-Hobe Sound is a 10-time career winner, with lifetime earnings of $193,175.
To view Tuesday's harness racing results, click the following link: Tuesday Results - The Raceway at Western Fair District.
(Standardbred Canada)