Oceanview Nikki starred on a stakes-laden card at Inverness Raceway on Sunday, July 27 as she broke the 20-year-old track record for a three-year-old trotting filly in the sole $19,680 Atlantic Sires Stakes (ATSS) contest for sophomore trotters.
She got away fifth from post five, trailing the leading group after two horses broke stride in the :30.4 opening quarter. Mike McGuigan sent her first-over just past that first station, and Oceanview Nikki advanced on the rim through 1:01 and 1:31.1 middle fractions, eclipsing pacesetter (and stablemate) Supreme Rockette (Marc Campbell) at three-quarters.
Oceanview Nikki nearly cleared that opponent heading into the final turn, but Supreme Rockette resurged and got to level terms as they straightened for home with West River Jet (Ken MacDonald) joining them three-wide. Oceanview Nikki would not be denied, and she drew clear of Supreme Rockette in deep-stretch to win by three-quarters of a length in 2:00.3. West River Jet’s charge fizzled out, and the gelding had to settle for third after rallying back from an early break.
The winning daughter of E L Rocket-King Kong Kate is two-for-two in the ATSS this year for trainer McGuigan. Oceanview Nikki, owned by Blue Diamond Racing of Emyvale, P.E.I., Josh MacDonald of Little Pond, P.E.I., and Gordon Coles of Charlottetown, P.E.I., has won six times and earned $60,611 in 17 lifetime starts. She paid $5.40 to win.
Her 2:00.3 clocking shattered the previous 2:01.4 record, which had been held by Enclosed since 2005.
Mappos Lion prevailed in the overnight feature, the Johnny and Margaret Allan Ian Pace Winners Over, racing first-up for his fourth top-class win of the year. Fifth to the quarter in :28.3 for Clare MacDonald, Mappos Lion pulled out before the half in :57.2 and soon had to circle stalling cover on the backstretch. He charged forward through three-quarters in 1:26.4, overhauled tempo-setter Jewels Dragon (Campbell), and paced home to a 2-1/4-length victory in 1:54.4 in the $3,000 dash. Jewels Dragon collected the place cheque with Hugh Heff (Randy Getto) third.
Mappos Lion has won four of five starts this year, all in Winners Over events at Nova Scotia tracks. The locally bred Sunshine Beach-Pacific Playmate gelding began his career in the Maritimes but raced in Ontario for most of the last four seasons. Ken Collins conditions the eight-year-old gelding, a 29-time winner in 82 career starts with $314,457 in earnings, for Hailee Currie of Rocky Point, P.E.I. and Carol Campbell of Baddeck, N.S. The win payout was $3.90.
Badgirl Bridgette ($2.50) kicked off stakes action as she won her fifth straight race in the first of two $14,000 ATSS A divisions for three-year-old pacing fillies in 1:56. After trailing the field of four to the quarter in :27.4, Jason Hughes moved her to the lead before the half in :57.3 and rated her to three-quarters in 1:27.1. The daughter of Stonebridge Terror-Whatabadgirl then found another gear and flew home to a seven-length victory over Lady Llamrei (Adam Merner) with Windemere Classie (Campbell) third.
Badgirl Bridgette stayed perfect in the ATSS this year for owner/trainer William Lanigan of Montague, P.E.I. and improved her career record to 11-for-13 with $61,108 in earnings.
Starship Laska ($5.10) forged to the front after a long first-over march, then held off Tobins Dream (Hughes) by three-quarters of a length to take the second — and fastest — sophomore filly pace ATSS A division in 1:55.4. Campbell was at the lines for trainer Earl Watts, who conditions the Arthur Blue Chip-American Chocolate distaff for Windemere Farms, Beryl McNeill, and Kyle Williams. She is now four-for-nine lifetime.
West River Karuna ($3.40) took the first $12,580 ATSS two-year-old trot event, going to the front with a third-quarter brush for Ken MacDonald and cruising to a 1-3/4-length victory from there in 2:04.3. Trained by Clare MacDonald, the Legion Of Honor-Pannacotta Hanover gelding is now two-for-three lifetime for owner Haley MacDonald.
Little Louis ($3.50) was the second ATSS freshman trot winner, controlling the race throughout in a 2:05.1 win by 4-1/4 lengths for driver Corey MacPherson. The Kuri White-trained son of E L Rocket-Go With Her earned his second win in two starts for owner/breeder East Coast Captains.
There were also two ATSS B divisions for three-year-old pacing fillies. The winners were Woodmere Ohdoya (Clare MacDonald, 1:58.4, $3.70) and Jafetica (Myles Heffernan Sr., 1:58.3, $3.80).
To view Sunday’s harness racing results, click the following link: Sunday Results - Inverness Raceway.
(Standardbred Canada)