Eliminations for the City Of London Series continued on Friday night (May 19) at The Raceway at the Western Fair District with trotters in the spotlight.
Friday's $7,000 eliminations kicked off with Glenview Livestock's homebred gelding Dontcrampmystyle ($6) advancing first-over to wear down race leader Adventure Ahead by a nose in 2:02.1, with favourite P C Silent Drive finishing up just three-quarters of a length back in third. Bob McClure drove the Muscle Mass-Single Pans Reflex gelding, who is now two-for-two in his sophomore season, for trainer Mark Steacy.
The second elimination favourite, Pingaling ($2.90), swept around the early longshot leaver at the quarter pole and trotted away from the field to win by more than six lengths in 2:01.1 for Team Holliday. The Manofmanymissions-Ping Putter gelding earned his third win in 11 seasonal starts for driver Ryan Holliday, trainer Davis Holliday, and owners Caroline Holliday and Dennis Hannath. P C Heisenberg and Showboat Seelster finished second and third.
The third elim for the colts and geldings went to trainer Adrian and Janny Dimmers' A J Ricochet ($3.30), who prevailed off a pocket trip in 2:01 ahead of longshot leader Lucrative Son by more than four lengths. Driven by Lorne House, the Armbro Ricochet-Zorgwijk Delicate gelding earned his second (consecutive) victory from three starts this year. Austin Hall rounded out the top three finish order.
Bustingattheseams ($3.20) was a first-time victor in the first elimination for the fillies and mares after taking the lead from Sass That Mass at the half. The favoured Kadabra-Tight Pants filly defeated that foe in 2:01.3 while third prize went to Irenes Love. Alfie Carroll worked out the winning trip for the Robert McIntosh Stables Inc. and Dave Boyle.
McClure picked up his second elim win of the night driving the popular Gregg McNair trainee Angora Seelster ($4.90), who collared the front-striding Daylon Alibi at the wire in 2:02 for the Alot Of Sense Stable, Lyons Brothers Stable and Jessica Breese Karn. Striking Nikee recovered from an early break to show, finishing more than a dozen lengths behind the top two runaways. Angora Seelster, a Holiday Road filly out of Amazing Adventure, notched her first win of the year from two outings.
In the final elim, Pink Sheep ($6.70) and driver Tyler Borth held off Try To Resist by half a length in 2:03.4 in what turned into a two-horse contest when the rest of the field broke stride during the first quarter. Robert MacKenzie Jr. trains the homebred Angus Hall-Charming Oak filly, who broke her maiden in just her second start, for owner Nicholas Malcolm.
The City Of London finals for trotters and pacers will be part of the Molson Pace Night undercard next Friday, May 26.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Western Fair Raceway.
For the official judges' report from Friday's card, click the following link: Judges' Report - Western Fair - May 19.