Johnny Buckshot took his second straight $11,600 Preferred Trot on Tuesday evening, April 23 at The Raceway at Western Fair District. In addition to steering the Katie MacNeil student to victory in the Preferred, Tyler Borth wrote his ticket into the 2024 National Driving Championship with the highest number of points accrued in the Ontario Regional Driving Championship (ORDC).
The Preferred Trot went to the gate in race two with the card's main event served as the Ontario Regional Driving Championship in races three through 11. Full coverage of the ORDC can be found here.
Tyler Borth and the MacNeil student took post seven in the field of seven. With one off stride at the start, the pair backed the field in sixth through panels in :28.4 and :59.4, set by the favourite, Delgado (Scott Young). After the half, Borth pulled his right line and sent Johnny Buckshot to the outside on a third-over bid, but the pair remained in sixth. Johnny Buckshot made up little ground in the final turn before taking off down the stretch. With the swiftest final panel in :29, Johnny Buckshot chipped away at his opponents. Coming down to the wire, Johnny Buckshot won by a half length in 1:58.4 over Lass Shot (Garrett Rooney). Delgado completed the triactor.
Johnny Buckshot is a winner of five races in 11 starts this year so far and 15 races from 50 lifetime starts. He moved his career bankroll past the six-figure mark at $101,762. The five-year-old Il Sogno Dream-Third Avenue gelding is owned by breeder Brad Wilson. He returned $4.30 to win as the second choice.
Joining Borth on the route to Hippodrome 3R in Trois-Rivières, Que. for the National Driving Championship on Friday, July 5 will be James MacDonald as the second-place finisher in the Tuesday evening standings at The Raceway.
To view Tuesday's harness racing results, click the following link: Tuesday Results - The Raceway at Western Fair District.
(Standardbred Canada; photo from a previous win on April 16)