It Takes Two, overlooked at 19-1, got his ideal trip in this week's $12,500 Preferred Handicap Pace and hauled down the favourite to close out the Friday night card with a bang at The Raceway at Western Fair District.
Ideal Perception (Samuel Fillion), the 4-5 favourite, looked like a winner as he led the field of eight Preferred pacers through fractions of :28.1, :58.2 and 1:26.3, but It Takes Two pulled off the upset as the longshot emerged off a perfect pocket trip engineered by Lorne House and hit the wire first in 1:55.2. Wry (Paul MacKenzie) closed off fading cover to edge out Ideal Perception for the runner-up role 1-1/4 lengths behind It Takes Two, whose backers were rewarded with a $40.90 win payout.
Scott McNiven trains the Artspeak-Shellace gelding, whose three prior Preferred class wins this year at The Raceway were a result of two-hole trips. It Takes Two collected his sixth victory overall this season from 15 starts to push his annual income to $40,950. The six-year-old pacer now boasts 33 victories lifetime and a bankroll totalling $263,986 for owners Kimberley McNiven of Putnam, Ont., and Bradley Douglas of Ingersoll, Ont.
House drove two of the four double-digit winners on the back half of the card, also scoring with 21-1 shot Lilly Clare ($44.10) for trainer Melissa Loyer. The quartet of pari-mutuel puzzlers included the Fillion-driven 19-1 longshot Larjon Lilly ($41.50), who topped 46-1 Zip Past for a $2,244.65 exacta payout, and 24-1 upsetter Abbey Gale ($51), driven by Brady Galliers.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Western Fair Raceway.
(Standardbred Canada)