Wild Dragon and Every Day helped kick start the Signature Pacing Series on Saturday afternoon at Flamboro Downs with a pair of victories in the $10,000 first leg divisions
. The series is for non-winners of $75,000 lifetime as of July 14, 2011.
In the first division, driver Sylvain Filion sent 1-2 favourite Wild Dragon to command by the :27.1 opening quarter and rolled on past middle splits of :56.4 and 1:25.3 before stopping the clock in 1:54.2 with three-quarters of a length to spare. I D K (Keith Oliver) came on for second over pocket-sitter Ocala (James MacDonald).
The Richard Moreau trainee is owned by Gestion Jean Yves Blais of Montreal, Que. After going winless in three freshmen starts, the son of Dragon Again-Wild Helen has put together a sophomore record reading 3-4-1 in 10 starts.
Wild Dragon paid $3 to win.
Two races later, driver Scott Coulter and Every Day got away fifth off the gate, but journeyed first over to collar Crash Course (Anthony MacDonald), who had carved out fractions of :27, :56.4 and 1:25.2. Every Day took over in the stretch and opened up two lengths on the field for the 1:54.1 triumph. Ciona Bromach (Mike Whelan) and favourite Medoland Big Cam (Robert Shepherd) came on for second and third over Crash Course.
Wayne Preszcator trains and co-owns the four-year-old son of Western Terror-Eidette Hanover, a full brother to $500,000-plus earner Ideal Race, with Harness Racing Canada 11 of Ajax, Ont. and Luc Ouellette of Campbellville, Ont. Every Day earned only two wins prior to his four-year-old campaign, but now sports a seasonal record reading 5-2-4 in 18 starts.
He paid $10.20 to win as the 4-1 fourth choice.
The second leg of the series will take place next Saturday, August 6, with the $50,000 (added) final scheduled for Sunday, August 14.
For results from Saturday's harness racing card, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Flamboro Downs.