Cambridge Duchess duplicated the time, margin, and result of her first-leg victory as she won the second round of the Track On 2 Claiming Series for pacing fillies and mares on Sunday, Aug. 17 at The Track On 2.
The mare had the fastest getaway and took front-end control in the $4,000 contest before reaching the first turn for Mike Hennessy. She paced the quarter in :28.3 and half in :58.2, receiving her first challenge as Hestonsfreechips (James Jungquist) moved up alongside her first-over approaching three-quarters in 1:27.1. Cambridge Duchess repelled the attacker as they raced down the lane, and she held off pocket-popping Frostfire (Logan Gillis) by a half-length to win in 1:55.2. Shes Like The Wind (Dave Kelly) was third.
Cambridge Duchess tallied her seventh win of the year in 18 starts. After going winless in her first 17 career starts, she has won seven of her last 13 since moving to the barn of trainer Rebecca Kanak. The four-year-old daughter of Domitian Hanover-Princess Merlot, owned by Trevor Williams of Landmark, Man., has earned $31,361 lifetime. She paid $4.40 to win.
Ima Party Boy circled his four rivals to win the $4,000 second leg of the Track On 2 Claiming Series for pacing horses and geldings. Dave Kelly floated him out from post five but had to retreat the colt back to fifth as they reached the quarter in :28.4. After remaining in position to the half in :59.3, Ima Party Boy fired off the pylons and rolled up to the wheel of leader Sams Jizzy Jet (Hennessy) at three-quarters in 1:28.4.
He chipped away at the pacesetter down the lane, joined at the pylons by Crime Junkie (Phil Giesbrecht). The two attackers overwhelmed the leader in deep-stretch, and Ima Party Boy out-finished the pocket-sitter to prevail by a neck in 1:58. Sams Jizzy Jet was third. The winner returned $2.40.
Ima Party Boy is now three-for-14 in his debut season for trainer Rod Starkewski, who shares ownership with Clauzette Byckal of Onoway, Alta. and Gary Belecki of Calgary, Alta. The three-year-old colt, by Vertical Horizon-As Seely Promised, has earned $15,390.
To view Sunday’s harness racing results, click the following link: Sunday Results - The Track On 2.
(Standardbred Canada)