Dusty Lane Titan ($8.90) and Gettin Messi ($5.10) used similar tactics en route to victory in their $8,620 Atlantic Sires Stakes events for three-year-old trotters on Wednesday (Aug. 21) at Inverness Raceway, while Mabou Ridge ($2.30) lived up to odds-on billing in the lone $15,120 split for two-year-old trotters.
In the second division for sophomores (race four), Gettin Messi claimed his seventh win in 10 starts this season by working to the fore on the second turn and sprinting off boldly in the final eighth.
Michael McGuigan put the son of Armbro Barrister in motion out of post 5 just before Little Miss Winnie (Kenny Arsenault) clicked off a :30.4 quarter, and the pair cleared by two lengths on approach to the half in 1:00.2. On the second circuit, Gettin Messi evaded a first-over push from Mile Hill Willie (Gilles Barrieau) — who broke in upper stretch — before sprinting off to a 7-1/4 length win in 2:00. Little Miss Winnie reclaimed second, while Westview Sue (Corey MacPherson) took third.
Leonard McGuigan trains eight-time winner Gettin Messi for James Whalen Jr.
The first division (race two) saw Dusty Lane Titan likewise run his career tally to eight wins, and he did so in front-end fashion also. Trainer-driver Marc Campbell used a sustain push out of post 7 to land the Tad The Stud gelding on the point, and he travelled uncontested once clear en route to a two-length score over Windemerebarrister (MacPherson) in 2:01.1.
Grayland Farm owns Dusty Lane Titan, who won his third race in a row.
In the lone split for freshmen (race six), Mabou Ridge captured his third Atlantic Sires Stakes victory and fourth career win by way of a dominant 2:04.1 performance. The Arnold Rankin homebred secured the pocket in line to trainer-driver Mary Clare MacDonald behind Westview Star (MacPherson) in the initial stages before taking charge at the 1:01.4 half-mile split. From there, the son of Armbro Barrister and R Rocket Rachel drew off at will to defeat Tequila Tuesday (Myles Heffernan) by five lengths.
The $1,150 winners-over pace saw Your Raider Boy ($7.40, Rodney Gillis) and R Es Aiden give trainer Donald Beaton a sweep of the exactor, finishing one-two in 1:58.3. Your Raider Boy's win also capped a natural hat trick for the Port Hood, N.S., conditioner, who also sent Docs Ronhenry and Chase N Madi to the winner's enclosure.
To view Wednesday's harness racing results, click the following link: Wednesday Results - Inverness Raceway.