With warm temperatures come fast miles on the track, and that was the case Thursday at Rideau Carleton Raceway as noted by a track record-equalling performance by Sauble Delightful.
In rein to Guy Gagnon, Sauble Delightful marched to the lead from Post 2 and carved out fractions of :27.2, :56.2 and 1:23.3 before using a :28.2 closing panel to win by 1-1/4 lengths over Clodam Bayama in 1:52. The clocking equalled the older pacing mares track record set initially by Lit De Rose on Aug. 23, 2020.
Mandy Archer trains the six-year-old daughter of Bettors Delight-Performing Art for Jamie Copley and Mark Smith. It was also a new lifetime mark for the 15-time winner who upped her lifetime earnings to $117,279 with the victory.
As for driver Gagnon, the victory was one of his six trips to victory lane on the card.
He also took the checkered flag with Betonawheelin (Race 2 – 1:58), Party Vibes (Race 4 – 1:55.4), Sports Icon (Race 5 – 1:54.2), Speaker Nancy (Race 7 – 1:54.1) and Marykeeponburnin (Race 8 – 1:55.4).
Gagnon, a career winner of 5,725 races and purses in excess of $27 million, has posted 58 wins and purse earnings of $306,113 this season.
Black Tie Bash miscued and finished up the track last week, but he bounced back and posted a new lifetime mark winning the $10,500 Preferred Handicap for trotters in the final dash on the 10-race card.
Robert Shepherd got away fourth with the Isabelle Darveau trainee while Gloire Dream took the field past the quarter pole in :27.3. Race favourite Seeyou Men pushed to the top in the second quarter and had the group behind him at the mid-way point in :57.3. Black Tie Bash then marched to the lead and posted the three-quarter clocking of 1:25 before using a :29-second final frame to win by five lengths over Seeyou Men in 1:54. Crossfit rounded out the top three finishers.
Shepherd owns the four-year-old son of Chapter Seven-Daylon Mermaid who won for the first time this season and for the seventh time in his career. The $5,250 payday bumped his lifetime earnings to $79,233.
Catch highlights from the entire card in the latest edition of 'Rideau in Ten' below:
To view results for Thursday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Thursday Results –Rideau Carleton Raceway.