The featured $20,547 Winners Over/Open Handicap Trot on Sunday, April 28 at Saratoga Casino Hotel ended in a charge down the stretch and a blanket finish, with Ontario Sires Stakes graduate Snowpiercer reigning victorious among his foes.
Summit City Sonny (Leon Bailey) took the early lead and controlled the tempo throughout the mile while favoured Snowpiercer (Brett Beckwith) got away fifth. After an opening panel in :28, Beckwith tipped the Jackie Greene student first to the outside, hitting fourth at the :58 half and second at the 1:27.3 three-quarters. Snowpiercer landed on top at the head of the stretch, but he was not alone with a wall of challengers surrounding him. A sprint to the wire was all that was left to decide the Sunday feature winner and Snowpiercer overcame all six with their hats in the ring to win by a head in 1:57.1. Malibu Kid (Larry Stalbaum) followed a second-over journey behind Snowpiercer to take second by a narrow margin and Comeonover Hanover (Billy Dobson) completed the show in a photo finish.
Janie Kellogg of Fort Ann, New York currently owns the four-year-old son by Muscle Mass out of the Conway Hall mare Wheely Quick. Snowpiercer earned his fifth win in eight starts this year and his 10th win from 39 career starts. He has put away $298,580 in earnings lifetime.
Winning his third straight race, Snowpiercer returned $5.60 as the 2-1 bettors' choice.
Three $13,699 divisions of the John Mongeon Sr. Memorial were contested on Sunday as part of the second leg of the series.
Packmia ($7.60) took the first split in 1:59, winning by a nose over Sunnys Rebel (Matty Athearn) and Barnello (Brian Cross) with Chris Long in the bike for trainer Timothy Dickie and owners Glenn Schnackenberg, Cheryl Schnackenberg and Kellie Dickie.
Despite a miscue at the start, Pembroke Traveler ($2.10) recovered and sprinted from last to a 3-1/2-length triumph in 1:59.1 over Biden His Time (John Stark Jr.) and Niccolo (Mitch Cushing). Trainer Mcgwire Sowers was in the bike for Autym Robinson.
The final division of series action went to Queen Indeed ($2.30) with a 1:58.4 victory by two lengths for driver Billy Dobson and trainer/owner Gary Levine.
(With files from Saratoga Casino Hotel)