The weekly Winners Over pacing feature at Northside Downs had been captured thus far in 2020 by Accelerator and Runaway Mystery. Those two veterans hooked up for an epic tussle on Saturday (June 27) in Round Three.
Accelerator (Greg Sparling) used his rail control to find the front in the field of six early, but there would be no rest for the wicked. Last week's Winners Over winner Runaway Mystery (Harold Leblanc) was sent forward to challenge through a :30 opening panel. The struggle didn't end there as those two traded blows through a :58.3 half and 1:29.1 third station with neither pacer willing to spit the bit. Even around the final turn, when Runaway Mystery had every right to pack it in, he continued to pace in tandem with Accelerator but couldn't get his nose in front. Accelerator tripped the timer in 1:59.1 with Runaway Mystery a valiant second. Southwind Ricardo (Shawn Lynk) completed the triactor.
Robert Blanchard of Howie Center, N.S. trains and owns Accelerator (Driven To Win - KG Affair), now a winner of 21 races with more than $22,000 in career earnings.
Earlier on the card, 14-year-old iron-horse Imbadimnationwide made his first start of the season a winning one and in doing so picked up his 50th career victory for owner - trainer - driver Robert MacCormick of River Ryan, N.S. The son of Artsplace - Nenagh has lived up to his name, competing nearly from coast-to-coast after starting his career in Alberta before competing in Ontario, New York and Prince Edward Island. He's been a mainstay in the Cape Breton area since August 2016.
To view the full results from Saturday's card of harness racing at Northside Downs, click the following link: Saturday Results - Northside Downs.