Cheese Omelet sat just off a contested pace before striking the front in upper stretch for a gutsy 1:54.3 win — his third in a row — in the featured $11,644 conditioned pace at Ocean Downs on Thursday, Aug. 22, capping a hat trick for trainer Michael Hall.
The six-year-old American Ideal gelding and driver Jonathan Ahle sat in fourth off a :55.1 first half that saw Ideal Perfect Ten and Somewhere Rockin dispute the early lead before Bet On Buter took over shortly after the midway stage. Ahle gave Cheese Omelet his cue second-over behind Ideal Perfect Ten's second move with three-eighths to go, but the pair were briefly in tight quarters as Sams Triple Crown mounted a three-wide push heading to three-quarters in 1:24.1.
Around the far turn, Cheese Omelet had room to battle between rivals as Ideal Perfect Ten cleared to the pegs behind Bet On Buter, and he dug in late to reel in Bet On Buter by three-quarters of a length with Sams Triple Crown sustaining his three-wide push to narrowly miss the runner-up spot.
Ridge Warren owns 19-time winner Cheese Omelet, who paid $3.20 to win as the 3-5 favourite.
Hall and Ahle also teamed up to take the opener with Captain Carter ($6.00, 1:58.3) for owner Jeffrey Webster. Hall also won with Caribbean Sports ($2.20, 1:56.1), with Jonathan Roberts in tow; Ahle won with Brittany Bounds trainee American Rock ($3.00, 1:54.4).
Live harness racing returns to Ocean Downs on Sunday, Aug. 25; first post is 7:05 p.m.
(Ocean Downs)