Two-year-old pacing colts and geldings were the stars of the show during Thursday’s 11-race card at Truro Raceway, as the Nova Scotia half-miler hosted six divisions of the Atlantic Sires Stakes.
A four-pack of ‘A’ divisions and a set of $2,500 ‘B’ divisions went postward, and it clearly wasn’t a good night for the favourites.
K D Overdrive got the ball rolling thanks to his 8-1 upset in the first ‘A’ division. Gilles Barrieau guided the Steve Mason trainee to the win by 8-1/4 lengths over P H Blackjack in 2:00.3. Mister Pibb was third.
The gelded son of Camystic=Stormy Sakra survived a tough trip to win for the first time in his career. Downey Stables of Quispamsis, NB own the freshman who upped his lifetime earnings to $4,936 with the win. He was a $5,000 purchase from last year’s Atlantic Classic Yearling Sale.
The same connections – Downey Stables, driver Barrieau and trainer Mason – visited victory lane two races later with Jackson K Down, who staved off late pressure to win by three-quarters of a length over race favourite Heart And Soul in 2:01. Up And Gone took home the show dough.
The son of Camystic-Village Jericho threw down fractions of :28.4, 1:02.1 and 1:33 over the sloppy surface before being headed by Heart And Soul. Jackson K Down battled back to post the win while remaining undefeated in his first two tries. Sent off at odds of 2-1, he’s banked $6,480 to date.
Red Dirt Racer was a front-stepping winner in his $6,680 assignment for the tandem of driver Todd Trites and trainer Earl Watt. The gelding was the leader through first-half fractions of :30.3 and 1:02. He was briefly collared by Dilans Mustang, who led at the three-quarter pole in 1:31.4 before tiring after a determined bid in first-over fashion. Red Dirt Racer kicked home in :29.1 to win by 1-1/4 lengths over Beaus Cowboy in 2:01. Dilans Mustang was third.
Sent off at odds of 11-1, the son of Camshaft Hanover-Hare Trap won for the first time in his career for Windemere Farms and Clive Balderston. The $6,400 purchase from last year’s Atlantic Classic Yearling Sale has banked $3,392 to date.
After a near miss just eight days earlier, Lukes Cowboy stepped up his game and took home the hardware in his $6,680 division for trainer/driver Kenny Arsenault. The son of Brandons Cowboy-Philottes Nourrir parlayed a two-hole trip into the win by 3-1/2 lengths over even-money favourite Ey Cowboy in 2:00.4. Abner The Great was a well-beaten third.
Let go at odds of 9/2, the colt now has a win and a second-place finish in his first two starts for owner/breeder Philip Valley of Vernon Bridge, PE and Jeff Ruch of Innisfil, ON. He’s stashed away $4,936 along the way.
As for the $2,500 ‘B’ divisions, it was Elm Grove Kaptain winning the first split in 2:03.1. He won in gate-to-wire fashion for trainer/driver Gilles Barrieau. The son of Coastocoast Yankee-Elm Grove Starlite was third.
The other ‘B’ division went to Island Bobby and trainer/driver Danny Romo in 2:03.4. After parking to the quarter pole in :30.3, the gelding worked his way to the top – a position he failed to relinquish the rest of the way. He slid through sensible fractions before cranking up the speed in the lane en route to the win by 2-3/4 lengths over Andy Mac. It was another length back to third-place finisher Mystic Cruiser.
To view results for Thursday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Thursday Results – Truro Raceway.