Undefeated two-year-old pacing gelding Dancininthefire doubled up in the Prospect Series at Grand River Raceway with a wire-to-wire victory during the second leg on Friday, July 19.
With J Harris catch-driving for the freshman's second career start, Dancininthefire delivered on his 1-2 pari-mutuel promise in the first $8,000 division for Ontario-sired pacers as he held off Wicked Express (Travis Henry) and Its Only Game (Scott Coulter) in a three-across finish to lower his mark to 1:55 flat. Jared Bako trains the homebred Dancin Lou-Firebby A gelding for David Kryway.
Following runner-up finishes in the first Prospect leg, Bobby Bone Breaker and Smiling Dancer both earned maiden-breaking victories in their Friday night assignments.
Sent postward as the 1-2 favourite, Bobby Bone Breaker and driver Travis Henry tracked Louie The Great (Scott Coulter) as that Bako trainee made a mid-race move to take command and bested him by a head at the end in 1:57 flat while early leader Wicked Move (Paul Davies) rounded out the top three finish order. Trainer Gregg McNair bred and co-owns the victorious Sportswriter-Hurricane Irene colt with Grand Slam Stable.
Trainer Paul Ritchie's Smiling Dancer and driver Garrett Rooney prevailed off a pocket trip in the final split to defeat the 1-5 favoured first-round winner, Grin And Win (Tyler Moore), by three-quarters of a length in 1:58.3 with Limbo Dancer (Travis Henry) the next best five lengths back. The winning gelding by Big Jim out of Smiling Dialing was the 2-1 second choice.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Grand River Raceway.
(Standardbred Canada)