Imminent Response provided his new connections with an immediate return on their investment with a victory in the first of two $9,000 Labatts Claiming Series second leg divisions at Georgian Downs
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The series features non-winners of $30,000 as of July 15, 2010, racing for a claiming price of $12,000 (with allowances) in Friday’s second leg.
Imminent Response was claimed for $12,500 in the first leg, where he finished third, by Antonio Tangreda of Kettleby, ON. Now trained by Dale Heard, the four-year-old gelded son of Oaklea Julian-Shuttle Diplomacy picked up his second win in 14 seasonal starts with a wire-to-wire performance in the opening division.
With Dan Clements in the bike, favourite Imminent Response left from Post 4 and marched past panels of :29.4, 1:00.2 and 1:30, widening his lead to eight and a half lengths with a :29-second final frame before tripping the timer in a career-best 1:59. Maple Leaf Quix (Stuart Cochrane) and Berndt Royal (Simon Allard) finished second and third.
Imminent Response paid $4.70 to win.
Hi Tech Tony captured the second division for trainer, driver, owner and breeder Mark Estell.
Striking Diva (Ryan Maxwell) showed the way to the first quarter in :27.4 with fellow first leg winner and odds-on favourite Hillbilly Rockstar (Simon Allard) advancing on the outside and dropping into the pocket by the halfway mark of :57.4.
Hillybilly Rockstar moved back out and pressed the pace past the third quarter mark of 1:27.4. As he edged out Striking Diva in the stretch, Hi Tech Tony went three-wide and came flying by them both to score in 1:58.4 by two and a half lengths with Maestro Springs (Paul MacKenzie) and Mvs Royal Pride (Scott Zeron) closing for second and third.
Hi Tech Tony paid $6.90 to win as the 2-1 second choice. The six-year-old Balancer Image-Fleur Collins gelding, who finished fourth behind Imminent Response in the opening leg, notched his third win in nine tries this season.
The $30,000 (added) final of the Labatts Claiming Series is scheduled for next Friday, August 20.
To view Friday's results, click here.