The story of the season thus far at Northside Downs has been Runaway Mystery, who has been an absolute force since arriving in Cape Breton earlier this year. Facing his toughest test to date in Saturday's $3,000 J.A. Ferguson Memorial Pace, Runaway Mystery prevailed with a thrilling stretch rally.
The 'Inverness invader', favoured Intended Royalty (Ryan Campbell) fired to the front off the gate with Runaway Mystery landing in the pocket for Harold Leblanc Jr. The favourite set a sharp tempo through fractions of :28, :57.1 and 1:25.4 with the rest of field unable to keep up and the pocket-sitting second choice Runaway Mystery more than five lengths back with one quarter left to go. As those fractions caught up to Intended Royalty, Campbell went to work on the pacesetter while Runaway Mystery made that lead margin disappear with each stride. As the front pair turned for home Intended Royalty was still on top but Runaway Mystery would not be denied, getting up in the final strides for the 1:56.1 victory by a half-length. Eastview Dexter (Keith Dicks) completed the top three.
A five-time winner from six seasonal starts, six-year-old Runaway Mystery (Mister Big - Phoenix Arcane) is trained and owned by Harold Leblanc along with Gus Burns of New Waterford, N.S. The mile time was three full seconds faster than his previous best over the North Sydney, N.S. half-mile oval.
To view the results from Saturday card of harness racing at Northside, click the following link: Saturday Results
- Northside Downs.