Reigning Atlantic Breeders Crown divisional champion Pictonian Amanda earned her second straight win of the season on Saturday afternoon at Northside Downs as she wired a field of three-year-old filly pacers in one of three $6,760 Atlantic Sires Stakes 'A' divisions.
With Mike Stevenson at the controls, Pictonian Amanda left from the inside post position in her ATSS event and rolled past panels of :29.4, 1:00.4, and 1:31.1 en route to a 1:59.3 score. Southfield Sophie and Terry Gallant followed from the pocket and finished one and a half lengths behind in second while Armed Force, driven by Ron Matheson, rounded out the top three finishers.
The popular daughter of Western Paradise and Southview Sasha paid $3.50 to win. She now two-for-two in 2012 after putting together a freshman record reading 6-2-2 in 11 starts and banking over $30,000. Pictonian Amanda is trained by Wade Sorrie for Belfast, P.E.I. owners Daniel Ross and Bill Bell.
Driver Darren Crowe won the other two 'A' divisions with his own trainee Seeyouonthebeach and Isleofpalms for conditioner Cyril MacDonald.
Seeyouonthebeach followed Sweetwater Teaha and Ryan Campbell through early fractions of :29.3 and :59.1 before moving into the top spot. The Western Paradise-Red Sea filly hit three-quarters in 1:28.2 and held off April Dawns Star and Stevenson down the lane to win by a nose in 1:59.1. Shes A Force, with Shane Bernard in the bike, finished nearly four lengths behind in third.
The popular winner returned $3.40 to her backers. Seeyouonthebeach has now won two consecutive ATSS events, three so far this year, and four of her eight starts for owner Roy Springett of Windsor, N.S.
Making her first Northside Downs start, Isleofpalms sat third at the rail in the early going while favourite J J Maywest and Stevenson led the way through panels of :29.2, 1:00.4 and 1:30.1. Crowe got his filly rolling at the third quarter mark and she rallied home in :29-seconds to win by more than four lengths in 1:59.2. Pictonian Jewel, with Brodie MacPhee, advanced first over to place while the Rod Gillis-driven Blackriver Nannie finished third off a two-hole tripe.
Isleofpalms notched her first win in four seasonal starts. There were no win tickets sold on the Force Of Life-In Front miss, who is owned and bred by Wesley Patriquin of Debert, N.S. and Paul Merlin of Wentworth, N.S.
A pair of $2,500 'B' divisions were won by the career-debuting Island Reactor (Carlspur-Island Xquisite) and driver Edgar Jacobs in 2:03.1 for trainer Blair MacKenzie and co-owner Jamie Mills of Sydney, N.S., and West River Willow (Astronomical-Shirley Gram) with Kenneth MacDonald in 2:02.3 for trainer Clare MacDonald and co-owner Rinaldo MacDonald of Antigonish, N.S. The 'B' fillies won by a combined nine and a quarter lengths.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Northside Downs.