Maritime dynamo Time To Dance kept going and sparked around Truro Raceway in the featured $7,500 Lindsay Construction Cup Invitational Pace to stop the clock in an all-time record mile for the oval of 1:51.3.
Parked to a :27.1 first quarter, trainer-driver Marc Campbell cleared control with Time To Dance and pocketed pylon-starter Woodmere Ideal Art. Imalookertoo pulled first over from fifth moving to a :55.3 half and made slight gains as Time To Dance continued to sizzle on the lead with a circuit to go. The five-year-old A Rocknroll Dance gelding clipped three-quarters in 1:23.3 and drew away from his competition around the final turn in progress to a 4-1/2-length victory over Batterup Hanover. Woodmere Ideal Art held third.
Owned by Brent Campbell and Matthew McDonald, Time To Dance won his fifth race from seven starts this season and his 24th from 60 overall, earning $143,610. He paid $2.30 to win.
Woodmere Stealdeal – on the heels of his first defeat – rebounded in one of the two $8,320 Atlantic Sires Stakes (ATSS) “A” divisions. Driven by Marc Campbell for trainer Danny Romo, the three-year-old Steelhead Hanover gelding grabbed command early and set a swift clip of :27.2, :55.4 and 1:24 to lower the track record by nearly two seconds. Finishing two lengths better than pocket-sitter Elliot Moose, Woodmere Stealdeal stopped the clock in 1:52.2, eclipsing the previous record of 1:54.1 set by Mr Kelly in 2020.
A winner in 14 races from 15 starts, Woodmere Stealdeal has banked $76,490 for owners Kevin Dorey and Robert Sumarah. He paid $4.00 to win.
In the other “A” division, Jadensmagicsteel equalled the track record later broken by Woodmere Stealdeal with a wire-to-wire win in 1:54.1. The Steelhead Hanover gelding led through fractions of :27.4, :56.2 and 1:24.2 while opening a four-length lead to the final turn. However pocket-sitter Steel Reefer started to reel in the tiring pacesetter coming for home, though Jadensmagicsteel kept him at bay to win by three-quarter lengths at the beam with odds-on favourite Justcallmedoc back in third.
Trained by Melissa Rennie for owner Boys Will Be Boys Racing, Jadensmagicsteel won his fifth race from 16 starts, earning $23,032. Adam Merner drove the $4.80 winner.
Alongside the pair of ATSS “A” divisions, two $3,000 “B” divisions splits were contested. Woodmere Alvin won the first division, pacing a 1:53.2 mile – at that point in the card a track record – to win by 17-1/4 lengths over Dusty Lane Morgan. Corey McPherson drove the Rollwithitharry gelding to victory for owner Mike Pollard and trainer Michael McGuigan. He paid $4.50 to win.
Woodmere Cecil took the other “B” division. Trainer-driver Paul Langille brought his Rollwithitharry gelding from mid-division, catching cover from 6-5 favourite Whistler to the half and taking control into the stretch. He bested Whistler by 1-1/4 lengths to win in 1:55.1 and pay $7.70 to win. He competes for owners Debbie Francis, Blake Wells and Rosanne Langille.
Ladylike landed at the finish first from an off-the-pace trip to win in the $5,230 Atlantic Aged Pacing Mares Series. The Colin Johnson trainee raced sixth to a :27 opening quarter set by Roselily and stayed in the back of the pack while the pace remained hot to a :55.3 half. But Roselily tired on the second circuit, causing horses to fan all across the track in pursuit of position.
Past three-quarters in 1:25.1 and into the stretch, Ladylike emerged with the most momentum from second over to nail late leader and odds-on favourite Larjon Legacy by three-quarter lengths in a 1:55.1 mile. Woodmere Skyroller, sitting the pocket and shuffled by the tiring pacesetter, rallied back into contention for third.
A five-year-old mare by Shadow Play, Ladylike won her 20th race from 58 starts, earning $95,852. She paid $17.40 to win.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Truro Raceway.