A front-end speed duel was just what the doctor ordered for Johnnie Jack, who was able to pounce on tired pacesetters and capture the Saturday (June 26) feature at Northside Downs.
A field of five pacers went postward in the $1,500 Winners Over Pace, with Southwind Ricardo (Gerard Kennedy) using his rail position to make the lead and control the tempo. His lead was contested immediately by Runaway Mystery (Harold Leblanc Jr.) and with last week's winner Accelerator (Greg Sparling) keeping the pocket closed, those two veterans slugged it out through opening fractions of :27.4 and :56.4.
Sensing a golden opportunity, driver Ryan Campbell had Johnnie Jack positioned second over behind Runaway Mystery from the three-eighths point and flipped the switch three-wide at the five-eighths mark. Johnnie Jack cleared a fading Runaway Mystery and then collared Southwind Ricardo through a 1:26.2 third station. With a three-length advantage turning for home, Campbell shut down Johnnie Jack and coasted home in :31.1 for the 1:57.3 decision over Accelerator and Hotlikewasabi (Richie Baryluk).
Travis Campbell of Gardiner Mines, N.S. owns and trains four-year-old Johnnie Jack (Westwardho Hanover - Water Sprite), now an 11-time winner in his career with $16,387 in earnings.
Ardon Mofford came into the Saturday card with four lifetime driving wins and the local horseman / restaurateur added substantially to his totals by scoring a hat trick on the afternoon. The third of those wins came aboard pacing veteran Bet On Art — a horse that he owns and trains — for the pacer's 50th career victory.
To view the results for the Saturday card, click the following link: Saturday Results - Northside Downs.