Greatest Pleasure defeated a talented field of Ontario-sired three-year-old pacing fillies on Sunday afternoon, July 7 in Clinton Raceway's signature event, the $50,000 Kin Pace.
Driver Louis-Philippe Roy worked out the winning trip, with the homebred Bettors Delight-Twin B Imabeach filly closing off the favourite's cover to score in 1:55.1 by 1-3/4 lengths, for trainer Luc Blais and owner Determination of Montreal, Que. Greatest Pleasure's winning time was just two-fifths of a second off the divisional track record held by 2018 Kin Pace champion Write Me A Song and 2022 winner Velvet Stinger.
Wicked Leader flashed wicked gate speed as she sped to the front from post four for driver Trevor Henry and clocked the opening quarter in :28.2.
Coming off the turn towards the grandstand, 3-5 favourite How Much and Doug McNair then went first-up to engage the leader in a battle for the top spot at the half in :57.4 and continued to press the pace through three-quarters in 1:26 before taking a short lead on the outside.
Meanwhile, Roy had moved Greatest Pleasure second-over from fifth and sent her three-wide as they rounded the final turn.
The elimination winners were three-across entering the stretch, but Greatest Pleasure was full of late pace and swept by her inside rivals in a :28.4 final frame, with Pasta Delight and Anthony Haughan closing strong from behind to nab the runner-up honours. How Much edged out Wicked Leader at the end for third.
Sent postward as the 6-5 second choice, Greatest Pleasure paid $4.40 to win.
Greatest Pleasure is now four-for-eight in her sophomore campaign, increasing her career win count to eight and earnings to $130,892.
The Kin Pace pays homage to the early days of Clinton Raceway when the Kinsmen and Kinette Club introduced pari-mutuel wagering to the grassroots track in 1970. The race was for non-winners of $50,000 in 2023.
Clinton Raceway also hosted a pair of $20,000 Grassroots divisions for three-year-old trotting fillies during Sunday's Ontario Sires Stakes 50th Anniversary Celebration card with favourites Mass Cara ($5.10) and Birthday Money ($3.60) both securing their second series victories.
Mass Cara won the fastest division in 1:59.2, which was three-fifths of a second shy of the divisional track record. Driven by Trevor Henry, the Muscle Mass-Penetangore filly stalked in third through early fractions of :28.3 and :58.3 before springing into action approaching three-quarters in 1:28.3 and taking off down the lane for the 1-3/4-length victory. The 3-2 favourite is owned by trainer Kyle Bossence and Frank Brundle. West River Ivory closed off the winner's cover for second and pacesetter Go Have Fun finished third.
Birthday Money, with Todd Ratchford driving for trainer Matt Bax, took control early on and was left all alone on the led after a trio of fillies broke strode behind her while battling three-wide for early position through a :28 opening quarter. She then cruised to the half in :58.3 and rebuffed a first-over challenge from Mass Money down the backstretch past three-quarters in 1:29.1 en route to a 1:59.4 score. Tucking into the gaping pocket, Mass Money drafted the winner around the final turn and chased 2-3/4 lengths behind in second with a fowardly-placed All Out Marilyn holding on for third nine lengths back. A daughter of Resolve out of Parkhill No Credit, the winning homebred filly is owned by Bax Stable and Marshall Bax.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click the following link: Sunday Results - Clinton Raceway.
(Standardbred Canada)