Mando Fun dug deep to come up victorious in the $1,600 Winners Over feature at Northside Downs on Saturday (June 18).
Leaving from Post 1 for catch-driver Adam Lynk, Mando Fun got to the front and clicked for opening fractions of :28.2 and :58, leading Gentry Seelster (Lawrence Snow) by just a neck at the halfway mark.
The battle between Mando Fun and Gentry Seelster continued on the second trip around the track. The two went head-to-head, with Mando Fun guarding the rail on the inside and Gentry Seelster pushing on the outside.
Gentry Seelster got himself ahead by a neck at the 1:27.2 three-quarters, before Mando Fun came on strong in the stretch to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:57.3.
Gentry Seelster settled for second and odds-on favourite Kiss Me Im Irish (Mark Pezzarello) was third.
The victory paid $15.30 for the 6-1 morning-line Mando Fun.
The nine-year-old son of Badlands Hanover won for the second time in seven starts this year. The gelding, owned by trainer Ronald Seymour and Aubrey Cameron of Glace Bay, N.S., has 33 career wins and a bankroll of $88,816.
Driver-trainer Angus Bates posted three wins on Saturday's card. He won with Gotfaithincowboys (2:04), Red Rum She Wrote (2:00.4) and Windsong Katie (2:05.1).
Bates has driven five winners in 19 starts this year, and has 184 career driving victories. As a trainer, Bates has five wins in 20 starts this year and 127 for his career.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Northside Downs.