Best Honey Hanover was at her best on Thursday (July 20) evening at Rideau Carleton Raceway as the mare lowered the track record for aged pacing mares to a new mark of 1:51.3.
Lit De Rose and Sauble Delightful shared the previous track record of 1:52.
Despite being the bettors' choice in the $8,000 condition pace, Best Honey Hanover had no easy feat in the mile to rewrite the history books.
Pascal Berube and Best Honey Hanover set themselves up in post five in the field of seven. As the wings of the starting car drew away, four mares were on the move for the front. The Ideal Huntress (Samuel Fillion) achieved the early lead, but only for a short split before Greystone Treasure (Guy Gagnon) took over at the quarter in :26.1. Best Honey Hanover settled into third after the opening panel. Greystone Treasure was drawing away on the field as Berube pulled his right line at the half in :54.4. Best Honey Hanover began closing the gap between herself and the leader as they clocked the three-quarters in 1:22.4. Gagnon urged his mare forward around the final turn, but was overpowered by Best Honey Hanover, who let it loose in the stretch to win by 3-3/4 lengths. Greystone Treasure took second and Whatineedisaman (Ryan Guy) rounded out the top three.
Owned by Keith Cassell and trained by Macy Cassell Smyth, Best Honey Hanover is an eight-year-old daughter of Art Major and the Western Ideal mare Best Chance Hanna. She moved her seasonal record to 7-4-5 in 24 starts. Along with sum of $296,952 in lifetime earnings, it was her 47th career trip to the winner's circle.
Duke Lavictoire upset at odds of 9-1 in the $10,000 Preferred Handicap Trot with Berube in the bike as one of his four driving wins on the card.
Berube sent the Andre Lachance trainee flying out of post seven and to the front with a two-length cushion at the opening panel in :27. The pair kept on rolling through the half in :57 and three-quarters in 1:24.4 en route to a three-quarter length victory in 1:54.4. Raising Rusty (Stephane Pouliot) finished second and Esplosione (Fillion) was third.
Duke Lavictoire is owned by Suzanne Lavictoire and earned his third win of the season and 20th career victory. The five-year-old Royalty For Life gelding moved his career bankroll to $107,141.
To view Thursday's harness racing results, click the following link: Thursday Results - Rideau Carleton Raceway.