Third-time starter Sweet Toujours ($16.30) not only yielded the highest win dividend in four $7,000 City of London elimination races on Tuesday night (May 15) at The Raceway at Western Fair District, but her maiden-breaking 1:56.3 mile also made her the fastest of the 28 pacers to square off in the late-season London event.
After posting fourth-place finishes in two previous starts — one at The Raceway and one at Flamboro, the three-year-old daughter of Mach Three and Sweet Hedge clicked in her third career outing. After drafting pacesetter Book The Bet (Anthony MacDonald) from third through a :58.2 half mile, Bob McClure angled Sweet Toujours first-over and worked into the lead just before completing a :29.1 third quarter.
Sweet Toujours wore Book The Bet down on approach to the home turn and subsequently parried a late charge from sixes-on favourite Campassion (James MacDonald) to ice a 1:56.3 victory by a length.
Luc Blais trains Sweet Toujours for the Determination group of Montréal.
In the other distaff elimination, One Chilly Night ($10.40) swept off cover and reeled in odds-on pacesetter Three Accounts (McClure) for a 1:59 score. Scott Coulter drove the daughter of Sportswriter and Simply Lucky for trainer Chad Milner, who shares ownership of the two-time winner with Leonard Christopher.
The following fillies and mares will advance to the $28,200 City of London final, to be held on the Camluck Classic undercard on Saturday, May 26:
Book The Bet, Campassion, Macharita, One Chilly Night, Shadowofhersmile, Sweet Toujours, Three Accounts, Together We Run.
Mike and Brooke Smith’s Treasure Writer ($4.60) took top honours among male pacers, using a first-over grind to defeat Gideon Seelster in the first elimination in 1:57. James MacDonald handled the gelded son of Sportswriter and Keystone Treasure in his fourth career win.
Blue Moose ($3.40) completed a sweep for the favourites in the male eliminations, blitzing clear of Forrest Aspen (Don Graham) and amassing 3-1/2 lengths of clearance over Sportsmanoftheyear (Tyler Borth) for a 1:57.4 triumph in the second elimination. Driver Robert Shepherd owns the three-year-old Badlands Hanover-Whig Party gelding, who is trained by Isabelle Darveau.
Advancing to the $26,200 City of London final for pacing males are:
Blue Moose, Forrest Aspen, Gideon Seelster, Grand Illusion, Shark Outta Water, Sportsmanoftheyear, Strike It Up, Treasure Writer.
Twenty-two trotters contest a quartet of City of London trotting eliminations on Friday evening's (May 18) card.
Willyorwonthe Equals Track Record In Preferred Trot
In the $10,000 Preferred 3 Handicap Trot, contested at a mile and a sixteenth, Willyorwonthe ($6.40, James MacDonald) made an early push to the fore and never looked back, working to clear Hldontghttoyurdrms (Bob McClure) on the first turn and ultimately drawing off through the final quarter by 3-3/4 lengths in 2:05.1 and equalling the track and Canadian records for trotters at the added distance over a half-mile track. Fluff Me Up (Shepherd), who previously held the aforementioned record, rallied down the grandstand side to take second narrowly over All Out Henry (Scott Young).
Willyorwonthe, a five-year-old Angus Hall gelding owned and trained by Bill Megens, earned his 17th career win.
To view Tuesday’s harness racing results, click the following link: Tuesday Results – The Raceway at Western Fair District.