Winning 60 percent of the card is no small feat at any racetrack so props are in order for owner Dr. Mitchell Downey and trainer Ellen Stevenson, whose stable managed to dominate the day on Saturday (May 11) at Exhibition Park Raceway.
Stevenson & Downey's wins bookended the card in New Brunswick. Fall Bliss started the day with his 45th lifetime win, going gate-to-wire for driver-owner Dr. Mitch Downey in 2:02.3. Downey picked up his second win of the day with Union Man Hanover in the penultimate dash on the card, an off-the-pace score by a neck in 2:01.1 to give Stevenson a training double.
The training and owning triple was completed in the fifth and final dash, the featured $1,500 Winners Over Handicap Pace. Father Ofthe Year was assigned the outside post five but overcame that starting spot for a gritty gate-to-wire win in 2:00.3 over favoured HP Bushido Dragjet (John Davidson) and Team Edward (Todd Trites). Appropriately, Mike Downey engineered the winning trip for son Mitch aboard six-year-old Father Ofthe Year (Royal Mattjesty-Shes Determined), now unbeaten in two seasonal starts.
After driver John Davidson made his return to the winner's circle one week ago following a ten-year hiatus, Wayne Watson won his first race since 2013 by guiding Mall Peen Hammer to victory in the third dash of the day.
For the full charted results from Exhibition Park, click the following link: Saturday Results - Exhibition Park.