After sitting off duelling leaders through the far turn, John Cummins’ homebred Dame Good Time hooked three-wide out of the pocket in upper stretch and vaulted to a 17-1 upset in the $410,959 Dr. Harry M. Zweig Memorial, for three-year-old trotters, on Thursday, July 4 at Vernon Downs.
The complexion of the race changed completely at the start as the 1-4 favourite, millionaire T C I, broke stride and lost roughly eight lengths of ground. That enabled Dame Good Time and driver Scott Zeron to sprint to an unopposed lead from the outside post nine, clearing Bargain (Yannick Gingras) through a blistering :25.4 first quarter before yielding control to Daiquiri Hanover (Åke Svanstedt) up the backstretch.
After a :55.1 half, Dame Good Time found himself boxed behind a duel between Daiquiri Hanover and the first-over Amazing Catch (Dexter Dunn), and T C I rallied valiantly back into contention after David Miller landed him in third-over flow. At the 1:25.1 three-quarters, the second-over Sir Pinocchio faltered, forcing T C I four-wide off the home turn and giving Dame Good Time room to hook off the pegs and around the duel in front of him. The Chapter Seven-Dame Du Lac gelding responded at once, sprinting down the center of the track to win by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:52.3. Amazing Catch was a narrow second over Daiquiri Hanover. T C I rallied to finish fourth, beaten by only two lengths after trailing at the start.
Following a break in stride in the Empire Breeders Classic, on June 14, Travis Alexander trainee Dame Good Time added hopples for the Zweig, which provided him his fourth win in 12 career starts and pushed him over $400,000 in career earnings. He paid $36.60 to win.
The $175,343 filly division likewise yielded an upset, as Marcus Melander trainee Date Night Hanover ($18) sustained a first-over grind out of midfield to overpower 8-5 favourite Drawn Impression off the home turn and draw 3-3/4 lengths clear of runner-up Senorita Palema in 1:51.4. Dexter Dunn drove the Chapter Seven-Dont Wait Up filly to her fifth win and a lifetime best performance for the partnership of Jeffrey Snyder and Onda Racing Stable.
Private Access ($4.60) and Louis-Philippe Roy won the $68,493 Dr. Harry M. Zweig Open Consolation by four lengths in 1:52.1 for trainer Luc Blais and owner Determination while Kinesiology ($4.90) took the $23,205 Consolation for the fillies by a head in 1:54.3 with Yannick Gingras holding the lines for trainer Ron Burke and owners Burke Racing Stable LLC, Beasty LLC, Lawrence Karr, and J&T Silva-Purnel & Libby.
A pair of $73,288 New York Sires Stakes divisions for freshman trotting colts and geldings served as part of the undercard with Civilian Drone ($6.70) and Yannick Gingras taking the first split by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:55.2 for trainer Nancy Takter and owners Black Horse Racing, 3 Brothers Stables, Joe Sbrocco & Jaf Racing and Order By Stable Ab.
Super Chapter ($3.30) nabbed the second division from gate-to-wire, winning by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:54.2 with Dexter Dunn piloting the winning drive for trainer Marcus Melander and owners Jeffrey Snyder and Arthur Pronti.
Three $27,397 Excelsior Series divisions were also contested with Mane Man Charlie (Jason Bartlett, 1:59.2), Bjms Lil Man (Tyler Buter, 1:56.4), and Low Inside (Dan Daley, 1:58) each enjoying a slice of the pie.