Five $10,000 Prospect Series divisions for two-year-old pacers were the features on the 10-race program at Kawartha Downs on Saturday, Aug. 1.
Spiritoftheeclipse passed five opponents with a devastating back-half sprint to post the fastest winning time among the Prospect divisions in the first Leg 2B split for males. The Artspeak-My Moriah gelding was stuck behind a slow rival in seventh to the quarter in :27, prompting Robert Doyle to send Spiritoftheeclipse around and into the six-hole entering the frontstretch. Meanwhile, The Dancing King (Isaac Waxman) swapped the pocket for the front before a :56.2 half and led onto the backstretch. Spiritoftheeclipse found flying cover from Quick Talk (Jason Ryan) coming off the second turn and followed him into contention until The Dancing King stopped that move at three-quarters in 1:25.4. Spiritoftheeclipse then tipped three-high and instantly regained his momentum, shooting to the lead on the last turn and clear by 6-1/4 lengths for the 1:55 score. Happy Jeff (Reg Gassien) rallied from seventh to second, while Lite In Flight (Austin Sorrie) closed for show.
Spiritoftheeclipse, trained by Doyle for owners Kyle Larner of Warren, Mich. and Loretta Jones of Nokomis, Ill., is two-for-three lifetime with $12,500 in earnings. He paid $9.60 to win.
Untold Story ($2.10) took the other colt contest, setting all the fractions in a 1:57.1 score for driver Jason Ryan and trainer Carl Jamieson. Ryan and Jamieson also combined to win one of three Prospect Leg 3A dashes for fillies with Pa Lila ($5.40), who stormed home to a 1:56 victory. The other filly winners were Body Island ($19.90) in 1:56.3 with Dale Spence aboard for Murray Brethour and Lyons Pasion ($16.50), whom Scott Coulter drove to a 1:55.4 tally for Ken Oliver.
To view Saturday’s harness racing results, click the following link: Saturday Results - Kawartha Downs.
(Standardbred Canada)