Last year’s Donald Rankin Memorial winner Cruisinart made his 2010 debut a winning one in the $1,150 Winners Over Pace featured during Northside Downs' season opener Saturday afternoon
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The Ken Rich pupil crossed over from the outside Post 6 under the guidance of Keith Dirks while Woodmere Westerner (Greg Bailey) made an early break to his inside along with Dvc Done Good (Greg Sparling) at the rail. Cruisinart cruised through fractions of :29.4, :59.2 and 1:29.4 without facing any serious challengers en route to a 2:00 victory.
Sir Dutch (Bruce McGean) finished 1-3/4 lengths behind off a pocket trip and 2009 Neil Campbell Memorial winner Shifty Shadow (Edgar Jacobs) came on for third in his first start of the year.
Cruisinart, a seven-year-old gelded son of Real Artist-Yieldtotheprincess owned by Johnny Heffernan of Reserve Mines, NS, paid $3.70 to win as the odds-on favourite. The 18-time career winner now sports a bankroll totaling $82,138.
Dicks led all drivers as he also won with his own trainees Allamerican Token (2:01.3) for owner Paul MacLean of South Bar, NS and Yankees First Hanna (2:00.4) for owner Emerson Heffernan of New Waterford, NS.
The card also produced a first for 17-year-old trainer Warren MacKinnon as his eight-year-old pacer Magnum Pei (2:04.1) won for the young conditioner in his first training start, in rein to Ryan Campbell. Warren is a third generation MacKinnon on the harness racing scene as his father Peter and grandfather Peter Sr. are still active in the game.
Racing resumes again next Saturday at 1.30 p.m.
To view Saturday afternoon's results, click here.
(With files from Northside Downs)