Driver Jimmy Gagnon and trainer Victor Puddy dominated the card of harness racing on Thursday, July 18 at Rideau Carleton Raceway, each winning half of the 10 dashes contested.
Together, Gagnon and Puddy teamed for four of those wins. The tandem started the success with their first combined outing in the third race, as Bet Im Shady ($4.40) went gate-to-wire for a 1:56.2 score. Better Catch Girl ($2.40) provided the next win in the fourth race, popping the pocket just before the three-quarter mark to take command and hold on for the 1:55.1 decision.
Puddy picked up his third win of the night with a natural hat trick in the fifth race as Marie-Claude Auger guided Crossfit ($2.10) to a well-supported 1:57.4 victory. Bubble Slide ($8.00) picked up the win after an on-the-engine trip in the sixth race for Gagnon's third driving win of the card.
Day Delight ($4.50) delivered the fourth win of the day for Gagnon and Puddy, driving on to clear after the opening quarter and then sprinting away to best his rivals by nearly six lengths after a 1:52 seasonal best time.
The card was capped, you guessed it, by a Gagnon-Puddy production by the name of Eyes Of Justice ($17.20). That trotter sat third on the rail through three quarters, took his shot around the far turn and tracked down tempo-setter Match Meif You Can (Samuel Fillion) for the 1:57.3 tally.
By virtue of the five-win performance, trainer Victor Puddy lifted himself into a tie for third in the local trainer standings with 24 seasonal scores at the Ottawa area oval — the same as Stephane Pouliot. Puddy now sports 2,560 lifetime wins with more than $19 million in purses earnings.
A career winner of 207 races, Jimmy Gagnon also sits third in the local driver standings with his five-bagger providing some separation from fellow sulkysitter Robert Shepherd. Going into Thursday's card, those two drivers sported 33 (Gagnon) and 32 (Shepherd) wins. Gagnon padded his margin, now with 38 to Shepherd's 34.
One of Shepherd's Thursday scores came in the $10,000 Preferred Trot courtesy favoured Black Tie Bash ($2.80). Sitting third through the first half of the mile as Warrawee Xalt (Ryan Guy) cut fractions of :28.4 and :58.2, Black Tie Bash angled to the outer flow just past the half and stalked the leader for the next 800 metres or so. Through the lane, Warrawee Xalt started to shorten his strides and Black Tie Bash bolted past for the 1:56.1 victory by half a length. Ima Standup Guy (Fillion) completed the top trio.
Shepherd owns Black Tie Bash (Chapter Seven - Daylon Mermaid), a 32-time winner in his career with more than $313,000 in earnings. Isabelle Darveau is the winning trainer.
For the results from Thursday's card of harness racing at Rideau Carleton, click the following link: Thursday Results - Rideau Carleton Raceway.
(Standardbred Canada)