Overcoming post nine, April Duford returned to form after a seventh-place finish last week with a victory in the $5,200 Preferred 3 Handicap Trot at Hiawatha Horse Park on Saturday, July 12, her fourth win at the track’s top level in her past five starts.
She was hung out to the quarter in :27.4 before finding a seat in sixth, where she sat until Robert Doyle pulled her out nearing a dawdling half of 1:00.2. She had to do it the hard way, receiving no cover as she marched her way forward down the backstretch to pull alongside pacesetter Rose Run Zeb (Don Rankin) at three-quarters in 1:30.2, when the leaders were joined by Riversdream (Nat Day) three-wide.
April Duford straightened for home with the lead with Riversdream threatening to her outside, but that rival made a break and April Duford cruised to the wire to win by 2-1/2 lengths in 1:59.3. Marvin Hagler (Garrett Rooney) closed from eighth at three-quarters to finish second over Seven Iron (Mark MacDonell). The winner returned $5.40.
April Duford, owned and bred by Dennis Duford of Dresden, Ont., has won nine of her 22 starts this year, including four of her last five at Hiawatha. The five-year-old mare by Il Sogno Dream-Cha Cha Slide is 19-for-79 lifetime with $119,941 in earnings.
Leave It To Luther wired his rivals to take the co-featured $5,200 Preferred 3 Pace in a 7-1 upset. Nick Steward gunned the gelding out from post six, and Leave It To Luther reached the front and put up :26.1 and :56.3 first-half panels. Bolt Power (Lorne House) rushed up with a challenge at the midway point and battled with the leader through three-quarters in 1:24.3. Leave It To Luther added to his advantage on the final turn, and he held both Bolt Power and pocket-sitter Dows Up (Rooney) at bay down the lane to score in 1:54. Bolt Power, 1-1/4 lengths back, edged out Dows Up for place.
Leave It To Luther, a five-year-old son of Betterthancheddar-T R Lexus Cam, tallied his sixth win in 19 starts on the season for trainer Ryan Steward and owner Courtney Pollard of Lucan, Ont. The gelding has racked up 17 wins and $120,041 in earnings in 63 lifetime starts. He paid $16.10 to win.
To view Saturday’s harness racing results, click the following link: Saturday Results - Hiawatha Horse Park.
(Standardbred Canada)