Kawartha Downs kicked off its summer racing season on Saturday night with the opening rounds of a pair of
new series.
The Friendship Pacing Series featured three $12,000 divisions for three-year-olds and up that are non-winners of $100,000 in 2010 and driver Scott Coulter doubled up with winners Panda Bear and Hilarious Halo.
Panda Bear pulled off an 18-1 upset from the pocket in the first division for Coulter. The six-year-old Jate Lobell-Finlandish gelding prevailed by a quarter length over pacesetter Primary Purpose (James MacDonald) in 1:52.1. Carmen Aucielle trains the career winner of 14 races and $238,616 for Rocco Auciello of Stouffville and Antonio Tangreda of Kettleby, Ont.
Second choice Royal Becquet also captured his division off a two-hole trip for trainer Rene Allard and Quebec owners Michel Allard and Nancy Lajeunesse. James MacDonald steered the eight-year-old Yankee Cam-Steady Pebble gelding to a 1:51.3 three-quarter length victory over Donegal Gerald (Tony Kerwood) with Doug And Dude (Aaron Byron) third. The win was his 30th lifetime and pushed his bankroll to $472,295.
Favourite Hilarious Halo pocketed a 1:53 victory in the final division for Coulter, trainer Brad Shakes and owners Dan Mogridge of Hillsdale and Jeffery Oborne of Jordan Station, Ont. The five-year-old son of The Panderosa-Bestaverde prevailed over pacesetter Ruthless Ace (Reg Gassien) by half a length, earning his 12th career win and pushing his earnings to $154,083. Power Off (Gord Brown) was third.
Kawartha also hosted two $6,500 Born To Trot trotting series eliminations for non-winners of one race as of April 22. Trainer-driver Doug Hie swept both events with three-year-old Striking Sahbra filly Who Took That (2:00.1), owned by Fabulous Farms LLC of Vernon, New Jersey, and four-year-old Duke Of York gelding Dukester (1:59), owned by Charalambos Christoforou of Campbellville, Ont.
For results from Saturday's harness racing card, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Kawartha Downs.