Stakes action closed out the Sunday matinee harness racing program at Truro Raceway with three-year-old pacing colts headlining two $6,400 Nova Scotia Series Stakes splits and older pacing mares starring in two $3,362 divisions of the Erwin Andrew Memorial Pacing Series
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Fresh off an Atlantic Sires Stakes victory, Maritime Breeders runner-up Putnams Power scored a convincing 1:56.4 win in the first Nova Scotia Series Stakes division as the odds-on choice for trainer-driver Danny Romo. The Force Of Life-Southview Shania colt was a wire-to-wire winner with Sock It To Em (Darren Crowe) and Pictonian Fancypas (Todd Trites) finishing over six lengths behind in second and third.
Putnams Power, now five-for-eight on the year and 18-for-24 lifetime, has yet to finish worse than third. He boasts over $88,000 in career earnings for owners Ronald Seymour Jr. and Bruce Donovan of Glace Bay, N.S. The colt won the Nova Scotia Stake as a two-year-old.
Pictonians Souwest, the 9-2 third choice in the other Nova Scotia Series Stakes split, fought off favourite Putnams Art (Bernard McCallum) for the 1:57.4 triumph in rein to Mike Stevenson. Putnams Art settled for second, one length behind, while J G S Sandy (Todd Trites) rounded out the top three.
Wayne Bell trains and Daniel Ross of Belfast, P.E.I. owns the gelded son of Western Paradise-Southview Sasha, who is now three-for-seven in 2011. The victory was his 10th overall in 18 starts and lifted his bankroll over the $50,000 mark.
Favourites Onehotvett and Abby Best were the best of the older mares competing in the second leg of the Erwin Andrew Memorial Pacing Series.
Driven by Gilles Barrieau, the Ken Sorrie-trained Onehotvett cruised to a 1:57.2 victory in the first division with pocket-sitter J K Special (Walter Cheverie) finishing over a length behind and Kendal Courageous (Clayton Stevens) advancing first over to show.
The six-year-old Goliath Bayama-Vals Vett mare, owned by Walter Simmons of Summerside, P.E.I, had just won the Later Closer For Fillies & Mares at Summerside Raceway last Saturday. She has recorded a total of eight wins in 24 starts this year. The former Blizzard Pacing Series champion has banked over $190,000 in her career.
In the next division, the series’ two-time defending champion Abby Best and Todd Trites converted from the pocket to nab pacesetter Troxel Hanover (Gilles Barrieau) at the wire in 1:59. Grace and Harv (Mike Stevenson) closed well for third, finishing just a half-length behind.
The 10-year-old Cambest-Armbro Seismic mare, who has won six times in 13 starts this year including her opening leg division, is owned and trained by Angus MacLean. She has banked almost $120,000 over the course of her career.
Putnams Force also delivered on his pari-mutuel promise in the $1,225 Winners Over Pace just before the stakes action with a four length victory in 1:57. Darren Crowe drove the four-year-old son of Force Of Life-Tooles Gold to his third win in 13 seasonal starts for local trainer-owner Ross O’Toole.
For results from Sunday's harness racing card, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Truro Raceway.