Nasey, the longest shot on the board at 61-1, nailed Logan Park and Private Access at the wire in the $100,000 Earl Rowe Memorial Trot to complete the biggest upset in the history of the race at Georgian Downs on Sunday, Aug. 10.
Travis Cullen settled him into fifth from post three as his four nearest rivals went forward off the gate, with an eager Sid The Kid (Trevor Henry) driving on past Fashion Frenzie (J.R. Plante) to lead to the quarter in :27.2. Sid The Kid sped off the first turn, stringing out the field as they went by the grandstand when Logan Park (Doug McNair) swung out of third to circle Fashion Frenzie and slide into a gapped pocket. The leader reached the half in :55.4 but was soon engaged by Logan Park, who left the two-hole on the backstretch with Private Access (Louis-Philippe Roy) advancing first-up and Nasey second-over.
Sid The Kid resisted Logan Park, Canada’s reigning champion aged male trotter, as they raced to three-quarters in 1:24.2 and held his lead around the final turn. Nasey moved into the center of the track at the top of the lane and began to surge alongside Private Access. Logan Park dispatched Sid The Kid in mid-stretch but needed the line as the two closers came after him. Nasey trotted fastest in the final strides, catching Logan Park and eclipsing Private Access to win the Earl Rowe by a head in 1:53. Private Access finished second over Logan Park, who was a neck short at the line.
Nasey collected the biggest purse of his career with his seventh victory in 28 starts this year. The gelding, trained by Jodie Cullen for A1stable of Dundas, Ont., has bounced between the Preferreds and the upper-level conditions at Woodbine Mohawk Park in recent months. The six-year-old Pilgrims Chuckie-Youre So Fine gelding has tallied 33 wins in 151 starts and has earned $476,911. He returned $125.20 to win.
Pownal Bay Bobbi impressed in Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots action on the card with a 1:52.3 victory in the first $25,000 third-leg division for two-year-old pacing fillies. She left quickest in the eight-horse field to take the lead and was in control throughout, pacing :28, :56.4, and 1:23.4 panels. P N G Shadow (Roy) rallied off the pylons from third on the final turn and made a strong bid down the stretch, but Pownal Bay Bobbi held on by a half-length. Horse With A Plan (Travis Cullen) was third.
Pownal Bay Bobbi broke her maiden in her fifth attempt for trainer Kyle Fellows. The daughter of Century Farroh-Bettorthanbobbi was a $17,000 London Classic Yearling Sale buy for Yolanda Fellows of Rockwood, Ont. and Blair Corbeil of Leduc, Alta. She returned $20.60 to her backers.
C J Desbi ($3.40) took the second division with a tough front-end performance, making two moves to the lead and turning away multiple challengers to win in 1:56.1. Plante took the lines for the Bettors Delight-Katniss S Bg filly’s maiden-breaking score for trainer Jacques Dupont and owner Sylvain Descheneaux.
Could Be Queen ($29.70) dominated the final split despite a 13-1 price tag, going gate-to-wire in 1:54.3 with Travis Cullen in the bike. Nick Gallucci trains the homebred daughter of Cattlewash-Epoxy Queen for Millar Farms.
There were also three $8,000 divisions of the third Prospect Series leg for rookie filly pacers. The winners were Cold Creek Cali ($3.40) in 1:54.3, Exquisite Dancer ($3.80) in 1:58, and Mc Princess ($8.80) in 1:57.
To view Sunday’s harness racing results, click the following link: Sunday Results - Georgian Downs.
(Standardbred Canada)