Continuing his win streak from late last season, Betterthancheddar notched his eighth straight in the $50,000 Open Pace at Mohawk Racetrack on Saturday night
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Driver Paul MacDonell fired millionaire Bigtime Ball to command from post six and put up a :26.3 opening quarter before heavy 1-9 favourite Betterthancheddar made his winning move. Scott Zeron tipped the son of Bettors Delight off the pylons from third and advanced to command down the backstretch, clearing at the :54.3 half-mile mark. Betterthancheddar continued to lead the seven-horse field past three-quarters in 1:22.4 and cruised home to score by one and a half lengths in 1:49.4 with 21-1 second choice Bigtime Ball chasing him to the wire in second. Sparky Mark and Sylvain Filion came in third at odds of 189-1.
Betterthancheddar paid $2.10 to win. The Casie Coleman trainee is now three-for-three during his four-year-old season, with all of those wins clocked in sub-1:50 fashion, including a career-best equalling 1:49.1 performance in his season's debut at Georgian Downs. The 2011 Breeders Crown champion has won 13 times in 21 career starts and now boasts earnings totalling $834,616 for owners Steve Calhoun of Chatham, Ont. and the West Wins Stable of Cambridge, Ont.
Clic K's own win streak ended at eight when he was swarmed by the backfield in the stretch of the $30,000 Preferred 2 Pace. With the track downgraded to sloppy and rated two seconds off, Lonesome Attack prevailed over the bunch in 1:51.4, matching his lifetime mark. The four-year-old On The Attack-Lady Lonesome gelding returned $31.80 for the upset win in rein to Billy Davis Jr. He is trained by Michael Grant for owners Gerrie Tucker of Montreal, Que., Debbie Bird of Harwood, Ont., and Florida's Ciro Gentile.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Mohawk Racetrack.