Sitting last at the three-quarter pole, race-favourite Wild And Crazy Guy swooped his competition to snag a neck victory in the $11,500 Preferred 2 Handicap Trot at Georgian Downs on Tuesday, June 11.
Charlie Is A Joker set the tempo with fractions of :27.2 and :57.2 on an uncontested lead. Willyorwonthe, sitting third, angled first over around the turn as uncovered Fly Beyond drew closer to the leader and supplied far-turn cover to him passing three-quarters in 1:25.4.
Willyorwonthe edged to a half-length lead turning into the stretch but stalled alongside Charlie Is A Joker as the backfield rushed. Wild And Crazy Guy ranged four wide into the stretch as Fly Beyond took the lead into the final eighth, but Wild And Crazy Guy slid a neck in front on the wire to win in 1:55. Fly Beyond settled for second while pocket-rider Katch Kanna took third.
An eight-year-old gelding by Crazed, Wild And Crazy Guy won his fourth race from 16 starts this season and his 36th from 163 overall, earning $548,114. Martin Lachance conditions the $4.20 winner for owners Y. Jean Brunet at Ted Gewertz. Travis Henry sat in the sulky.
A pair of $6,500 divisions for the Sharpes Feed Series second preliminary also went on the card. Confession Session topped the preliminary with a 1:57.4 wire-to-wire victory as the odds-on favourite. The John Bax-trained filly by Father Patrick cleared control from post 8 and set splits of :29, :59.2 and 1:28.3 in progress to a two-and-three-quarter length victory. Sorority Secret, who pulled first over into the final turn, took second from pocket-sitter Pyrrha.
Owned by Bax Stable and Glengate Farms, Confession Session won her second race from 16 starts, earning $31,177. Scott Coulter drove the $3.10 winner.
Mattys Smilin stopped Bax from sweeping the second round with a 1:59.4 victory in the other division. Trainer-driver Mark Etsell had the Justice Hall filly third through a :29.2 opening quarter and pulled off the pylons approaching a :58.4 half. She gradually gained ground on tempo-setter Magically Hip moving to three-quarters in 1:29.1 and eventually overtook the leader through the stretch to win. Magically Hip settled for second while odds-on favourite Peace Rose, riding the pocket, chased from third.
Owned by Terry Devos, Clarence Devos and Peter Porter, Mattys Smilin won his first race from 10 starts, earning $30,040. He paid $4.80 to win.
To view Tuesday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Tuesday Results - Georgian Downs.