Raising Rusty capitalized on a perfect pocket trip to capture the $10,000 Preferred Handicap Trot on Wednesday, April 23 at Rideau Carleton Raceway.
The 4-5 favourite Emma Town Bud (Pierre Bovay) blasted from post seven to take early command, while Melanie Plourde settled Raising Rusty into the two-hole through an opening quarter of :27.2 and a half in :57.4. Still in command, Emma Town Bud led the field to the three-quarter pole in 1:26.1. Impressive Dude (Guy Gagnon) mounted a first-over challenge but couldn’t sustain his bid, setting the stage for a stretch duel between the top two.
In a thrilling finish, Raising Rusty surged up the passing lane and used every ounce of effort to get his head in front at the wire, stopping the clock in 1:54.3 and reaching a new lifetime mark. Emma Town Bud dug in gamely but had to settle for second, with Impressive Dude completing the trifecta. Raising Rusty returned $21.30 to win.
An eight-year-old gelded son of Kadabra out of Raising The Bar, Raising Rusty is trained by Stephane Pouliot for 9096 9205 Quebec Inc. of Gloucester, Ont. The victory marked his first of the season and the 27th of his career, boosting his seasonal earnings to $10,180 and lifetime bankroll to $218,493.
To view Wednesday's harness racing results, click the following link: Wednesday Results - Rideau Carleton Raceway.
(Standardbred Canada)