J Harris swept the Tuesday night (May 1) distaff features at The Raceway at Western Fair District, capturing the $10,500 Preferred 2 Handicap Pace with Howmacfiesty ($18.90) and the $8,500 Preferred 3 with Top Royal ($4.80).
Howmacfiesty’s featured upset came with the help of an ambitious and contested pace set by Teachers Vet (Alfie Carroll) and prompted by Ride Away Shark (Travis Henry). Teachers Vet cleared 6-5 favourtie Casino Classic (Ryan Holliday) midway on the first turn en route to a :27.2 first quarter before Ride Away Shark commenced a first-over bid with five-eighths of the one-mile journey remaining. Harris put Howmacfiesty in play with live second-over cover nearing a :57 half mile.
As Ride Away Shark gained to within half a length of leader Teachers Vet up the far side, Harris pointed Howmacfiesty three-wide and the pair struck the front midway on the home turn after a :28.3 third-quarter battle. Despite inside resistance from Teachers Vet, Howmacfiesty edged away through the final sixteenth while driven out and notched her 21st career victory in 1:55.3 over fast going. Teachers Vet, three-quarters of a length back, held second narrowly over Casino Classic, who re-emerged down the grandstand side after being locked in through the race’s middle stages.
Jack Harris owns and trains Howmacfiesty, a five-year-old Carnivore mare.
In the sub-featured Preferred 3, Harris kept Top Royal close to the pace from the outset, drafting behind Barbies Belle (Michael Clark) before pulling pocket and clearing with ease upon exiting the first turn. The pair remained uncontested through splits of :29.2, :58.3, and 1:27.2 en route to a comfortably clear 1:56.2 score. The 19-time winner drew away on first asking with three-sixteenths to go to evade Regal Luck (Scott Young) — who found a seam up the pegs to take second from Barbies Belle — by 2-1/2 lengths.
Nick Boyd trains Top Royal, a five-year-old daughter of Royal Mattjesty, for Brydown Farms Inc.
To view Tuesday's harness racing results, click the following link: Tuesday Results – The Raceway at Western Fair District.