UPDATED: Field Set For Molson Pace

Lucky Man and Foiled Again took their respective $25,000 Molson Pace eliminations, which were marred with an injury sustained by Maltese Artist

on Friday at Western Fair Raceway.

Driver Brad Forward, who returned home today from the World Driving Championship in Norway, and Lucky Man, the 7-1 third choice, prevailed in the first elimination after the heavy favourite and pacesetter Maltese Artist (Jody Jamison) made a devastating break causing interference to the field and pulled up at the third quarter mark.

Maltese Artist had rolled through panels of :28, :57 and 1:24.2 before making the break. Lucky Man, who made the first-over sacrifice at the half, narrowly avoided a collision and he managed to come on for the win in 1:54.2.

Lyons Geoff (Trevor Henry) finished two and a half lengths back in second off a pocket-trip and Silent Swing (Chris Christoforou) was third. Stormaway (Dan Megens) finished fourth and also advanced to the final.

Lucky Man earned his third win of '09 in 10 starts pushing his yearly earnings over the $100,000 mark. The four-year-old gelded son of Camluck picked up his eighth lifetime score bringing his bankroll to $374,787 for trainer Casie Coleman and owner Tom Hill of Lancashire, Great Britain.

“You never want to see that happen. That’s not the way I wanted to get into the final,” Coleman said in regards to Maltese Artist’s break in a post-race interview with Frank Salive.

According to Ian Fleming, General Manager/Director of Racing at Western Fair, Maltese Artist was going to be transported to Ilderton Equine Clinic for assessment. Trot Insider will provide more information on the condition of the Ron Burke-trained double millionaire when it becomes available.

In the second elimination, Levy winner Foiled Again, the 2-1 second choice, trounced his four rivals with a wire-to-wire score in 1:52.2 for trainer Ron Burke, who shares ownership with Weaver Bruscemi LLC of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania and JJK Stables LLC of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The five-year-old gelded son of Dragon Again and Jody Jamieson carved out panels of :27.1 and :55.1 while the favourite, Shadow Play (David Miller), applied pressure on the outside, but failed to gain ground on the pacesetter. Foiled Again reached three-quarters in 1:24 and then rolled home in :28.2 for the one-length victory over the pocket-sitting Clowns Smile (Mark MacDonald) and Eagle Luck (Doug McNair). Ramegade Bruiser (Chris Christoforou) finished fourth.

The win was Foiled Again’s seventh in eight outings bringing his yearly earnings to $313,750. His 27th career win lifted his bankroll over the $700,000 mark.

The third place finish for Eagle Luck pushed him over a special career milestone - the $1 million mark for career earnings. The six-year-old son of Camluck is trained by Gregg MacNair for Frank Dettore Horse Racin of Ohio. The winner of last year's Molson Pace has compiled a record reading 17-13-14 in 93 starts.

After Friday evening’s eliminations at Western Fair Raceway, here is the field for the $280,000 Molson Pace final on May 29th:

PP - Horse - Driver - Trainer
1 - Eagle Luck - Doug McNair - Gregg McNair
2 - Stormaway - Dan Megens - Dan Megens
3 - Lyons Geoff - Trevor Henry - Bruce Goit
4 - Clowns Smile - Mark MacDonald - Casie Coleman
5 - Foiled Again - Jody Jamieson or Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke
6 - Silent Swing - (pending)* - Jean Louis Arsenault
7 - Lucky Man - Brad Forward - Casie Coleman
8 - Ramegade Bruiser - (pending)* - David Brown
AE - Shadow Play - Dave Miller - Dr. Ian Moore

* Chris Christoforou drove both Silent Swing and Ramegade Bruiser in their respective eliminations.

A series of Preferred events were also featured on Friday night at the London half-mile oval.

In the $18,400 Preferred Pace, Grand Bend Turbo had his engine running in high gear for trainer Jim Ainsworth, who shares ownership with Bill Boden of Vancouver, B.C. and Reginald Gassien of Lindsay, Ont.

On The Brink (Doug McNair) got away first after leaving from the rail, but from the next position over Grand Bend Turbo and Michael Sumner moved up for the early challenge past a :27.3 first quarter. On The Brink put up a fight and battled back on the inside, but Grand Bend Turbo finally forged to the lead just before the half in :55.3. He controlled the tempo through three-quarters in 1:24 while securing a five and a half-length lead heading into the stretch drive. The 4-1 third choice maintained his momentum and posted a brilliant 10-length victory in 1:53.

Pacific Oak (Ken Oliver) and Button Up (Michael Horner) finished second and third.

The seven-year-old son of Camluck scored his second win of the season and 34th of his career pushing his earnings to $809,797.

Presidents Choice extended his win streak to three in the $18,400 Preferred Trot with driver David Miller at the lines.

Celtic Warrior (Stephen Leese) left from the inside post and set the tempo with fractions of :28.1, :58.2 and 1:27.4 while Presidents Choice advanced first-over from fifth. As Celtic Warrior turned for home he began to give way to the Dan Creighton trainee, who went on to post a 7-1 upset in 1:58.1.

Brawn Seelster (Callie Rankin) was the runner-up finishing three-quarters of a length back in second and favourite Nobananas (Brad Forward) rounded out the top three.

Presidents Choice, a seven-year-old Balanced Image gelding with $153,827 in the bank, scored his third win of the season and 12th of his career.

Dangerous Years also posted a mild 6-1 upset in her $15,200 Preferred Pace assignment for fillies and mares.

Driven by Don McElroy, the six-year-old daughter of Western Hanover set the pace with intervals of :27.3, :57.4 and 1:27 before sprinting home in :28.4 for the win. She stopped the clocked in 1:55.4 finishing one length ahead of the favoured Hot Night (Stuart Sowerby). Minniewin (Stephen Lees) came on for third.

Wayne Preszcator trains the winner of 17 races and $218,945 for Bulletproof Enterprises of Boca Raton, Florida. The win was her third in 2009.

In the $12,000 Preferred #2 Pace, Secret Weapon was deemed the winner after a judges’ placing bumped him from second to first.

Cuban Seelster, with Nick Steward aboard, was strong off the gate from the inside post, but Pacific Prince (Mike Horner) landed on top by the first quarter in :27.2. At that point, Cuban Seelster moved right back out for the retake and he marched to the half in :56.3. Steward urged his charge on through the third interval reaching three-quarters in 1:24.3 with a three length lead before turning for home and pulling away by five.

Cuban Seelster, however, was placed back to fourth after an inquiry and driver’s objection were launched against him for causing interference when retaking the lead at the first quarter to Resistol (Greg Dustin), who had moved to the outside and was forced wide. Secret Weapon, who closed to finish second, inherited the win while the third-place finisher, Adamisastar (Doug McNair), was placed second. Resistol was bumped up from fourth to third. The winning time for Secret Weapon was 1:54.3.

The victory was the first of the season and 22nd of his career for Secret Weapon, a seven-year-old gelded son of Western Hanover. Wayne Preszcator trains the winner of $271,018 for Barbara Lehman of Waterloo, Robert Patterson of Caledon and James Lehman of Waterloo, Ont.

To view Friday's results, click here.