Three-year-old pacing colts and geldings converged at Inverness Raceway on Sunday afternoon for their first Atlantic Sires Stakes test of the season and put on a speed show right out of the gate, producing a pair of track record performances.
The Rev matched the sophomore track record with his dazzling 1:56.3 eight length victory in one of three $7,120 "A" divisions for trainer/driver Danny Romo.
The popular Western Paradise-Red Sea colt left from post four and was never seriously threatened as he cruised through fractions of :30.1, 1:00.3 and 1:29 then drew off from the field with a :27.3 final frame. In doing so, The Rev etched his name in the record books next to Clinton Debriefed, who established the track standard in 2003, and Dunachton Gale, who matched the mark the following year.
Larhecomes and Clare MacDonald came on for second while pocket-sitter Its My Turn and Jason Hughes rounded out the top three finishers.
The Rev is owned by Robert Skinner and Stephen Tufts of Truro, Jeffrey Skinner of Hammonds Plains and the Glb Stable of Lakeview. He now has three wins in four seasonal starts with his only loss a runner-up effort in last weekend's Maritime Breeders Stakes. A third-place finisher in the 2012 Atlantic Breeders Crown, The Rev has banked over $40,000 in purses to date.
First-time sires stakes starter Angelfire matched the sophomore gelding record of 1:57.4, set by Camco Kyle in 2005, after advancing first over from third at the half-mile mark in his earlier division. Driven by Ben Hollingsworth, the Largo-Dunachton Grace gelding kicked home in :28.2 to secure a three and a half length victory over favourite J J Nitro and Kenny Arsenault. Early leader Deep River Cruise and Bernard McCallum finished third.
Phil Pinkney trains the $21,755 career earner, who is two-for-12 this year, for owner/breeder Caneast Standards Inc. of Berwick.
Watersides Kipper and trainer/driver Kenny Arsenault captured the other "A" division in 1:58 flat for Charlottetown owner/breeder Hilliard Graves. Jacobs Jackpot and Ryan Campbell finished one and a half lengths behind the Yankee Leader-Kickin In colt while Libertys Art and Hughes trailed seven lengths in arrears.
The two winners of the $2,500 "B" divisions were the Evan Wilson-trained Mr Rock (N Xample-Maxines Bandit) and Greg Sparling in 2:01 and the career-debuting Ghost Protocol (Brandons Cowboy-Mission Beach) in 2:01.1 for Ross and Frank MacInnis.
The sophomore colts and geldings will be back in the sires stakes spotlight on July 6 at Northside Downs.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Inverness Raceway.