After winning his first start in Cape Breton a week ago, Runaway Mystery showed that effort was no fluke after a step up in class on Saturday at Northside Downs that also resulted in victory.
Runaway Mystery took on the best Northside has to offer in its $1,500 Winners Over class on Saturday (June 20) in just his second start at the half-miler. The public liked what they saw last week and they made him the post time favourite. Runaway Mystery and driver Harold Leblanc Jr. took that public support to heart and defied his rivals to best him. After making the lead early and pacing through fractions of :29.1, :58.3 and 1:29.2 with pressure from local Horse of the Year Southwind Ricardo (Shawn Lynk) in that middle half, Runaway Mystery stayed strong and then repelled the late challenge of pocket-sitting Accelerator (Greg Sparling) for the 1:59.1 score.
Accelerator held second with Private Paradise (Ryan Campbell) closing for third.
Leblanc trains and co-owns six-year-old Runaway Mystery (Mister Big - Phoenix Arcane) along with Gus Burns of New Waterford, N.S. The win, his 10th lifetime, was his second of the season in two starts. That win total matches his seasonal output of a year ago when he had 26 more outings.
To view the results from Northside's Saturday card, click the following link: Saturday Results - Northside Downs.