Going wire to wire, favourites swept the two $10,980 divisions of the Dawn Bremner Memorial Stakes while trainer Michael Downey collected three wins on the six-race opening day program at Exhibition Park Raceway Monday, May 21.
Sock It Away took the first division of the Bremner Memorial in a blowout, winning by 11-and-one-quarter lengths in 1:58.3. The Kevin MacLean-trained gelding by Pang Shui grabbed the front and paced fractions of :28.4, :59.1 and 1:28 before opening a two-length lead on pocket-sitter Tangled Mind into the stretch and expanding it to the wire. Tangled Mind, the odds-on second choice, was second, while Moramappo was another 20 lengths back in third.
Owned by Reginald Mac Pherson, Sock It Away, returning $2.60 to win, won his eighth race in 13 starts, earning $37,521. He was driven by Marc Campbell.
Going the 1-9 favourite, Half Cut took the other Bremner Memorial division handily in 2:02. Unchallenged on the lead, Half Cut set fractions of :30, 1:01.3 and 1:31 while Fiftyshadesofgraci chased from the pocket and Artsleek behind that. At the wire, Half Cut opened a six-and-one-length margin on Fiftyshadesofgraci, finishing second, with Artsleek another half length back in third.
Owned by Kyle Gardiner and Joseph Gardiner, Michael Currie and Jerry MacKinnon, Half Cut, a gelding by Stonebridge Terror from the Paris Dexter mare Beckys Filly, won his ninth race in 14 starts, earning $53,031. Trained by Tom Weatherbie and driven by Mark Bradley, he paid $2.10 to win.
Trainer Michael Downey conditioned three winners on the card. He piloted Hurricane Arthur, paying $20.60, to a wire-to-wire win in 2:03.4 in the $950 opener, sent City Of The Year, returning $2.90, to win a $1,200 conditioned pace and drove Father Ofthe Year, a $4.40 winner, to win off cover in 2:01.3 in a $1,350 conditioned pace.
To view Monday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Monday Results - Exhibition Park Raceway.