The sixth and final preliminary leg of the Slots Cup Series was held at Georgian Downs on Saturday night with Western Senator and Lookin For A Fight winning their respective $12,000 divisions
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In the first division, Western Senator and Jason Brewer sat fourth through opening splits of :26.1 and :55.1 as Uncle Bill Mac (Dan Clements) and favourite Justalittleluck (Scott Coulter) traded turns on the front. The four-year-old gelded son of Western Terror-So Cozy made his move during the third interval and took control at the 1:24.1 three-quarters mark. He opened up two and a half lengths in the stretch before stopping the clock in 1:53.3. Ostinato (Billy Davis Jr.) narrowed the winner’s margin of victory by a length as he closed from the backfield for second. Uncle Bill Mac was third.
Western Senator paid $6.20 to win as the 2-1 second choice. The Brad Shakes pupil, a winner of five races in 22 starts this year and $54,730, including his Slots Cup division on May 29 at Hanover Raceway, is owned by Tim Dean of Owen Sound, ON. In Slots Cup action, Western Senator was also third on July 3 at Flamboro Downs and second on July 23 at Grand River.
Lookin For A Fight and driver Paul MacKenzie didn’t face much of a fight in the second division. He left from Post 3 and led the way through fractions of :27, :57.4 and 1:25.2 before kicking away by seven and a half lengths with a :27.4 final frame to take equal his lifetime mark of 1:53.1. Ricky Bobby (Dan Clements) rallied from last to finish second and Stonehouse I J (Mike Horner) was third.
The winner returned $3.00 as the 1-2 favourite. Lookin For A Fight picked up his seventh victory in 20 starts this year and pushed his earnings to $48,475 for trainer Tammey McEneny and owner-breeder V M B Stable of Hamilton, ON. The four-year-old Cammibest-Shes A Looker gelding picked up Slots Cup wins at Western Fair on April 16 and in the Flamboro and Grand River legs. He was third at Hanover.
The series, for Ontario sired pacers that are four years old or younger and non-winners of $75,000 lifetime as of January 15, will conclude at Hiawatha Horse Park with the $75,000 (added) final on Saturday, September 11.
To view Saturday's results, click here.