Yacht Seelster set sail off the final turn to catch the popular pacesetter Lets Get Pickled at the wire in the featured $11,000 Preferred 2 & 3 Handicap Pace on Friday night (June 10) at Grand River Raceway.
After sitting second-to-last through a :26.4 contested quarter and :55.2 half, catch-driver Scott Wray moved the 3-1 second choice into the outer flow in the featured finale and tipped three-wide from third-over approaching the 1:25 third quarter mark. With the leader in his sights turning into the stretch, Yacht Seelster sailed home in :28.3 to collar Lets Get Pickled (J Harris) for the 1:54.2 victory. Champagne Phil (Tyler Moore) tracked the winner from the back and closed for third prize at odds of 26-1, finishing three lengths behind.
Yacht Seelster earned his fourth win of the season from 16 starts for trainer Don Lindsey, who co-owns the seven-year-old son of Shadow Play with Paul Kleinpaste, William Alempijevic and Garth Bechtel. The victory was his 23rd lifetime and lifted his earnings over the $400,000 mark.
Yacht Seelster paid $8.60 to win.
The $10,000 Preferred for distaffers went to 4-5 favourite Custard Lite in 1:55.4.
Owned, trained and driven by J.R. Plante, Custard Lite launched first-over from fourth approaching the midway mark and duelled past pacesetter Catch An Ace (Anthony Haughan) turning for home to win by 1-1/4 lengths, with Latte Seelster (Scott Coulter) rallying up the inside to hold third.
The seven-year-old Custard The Dragon mare, who has now won half a dozen times from 19 starts this year, boasts 31 career victories and $363,898 in earnings.
Custard The Lite returned $3.60 to win.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Grand River Raceway.