After having her six-race win streak snapped earlier this month, three-year-old pacing filly Mystifying returned to the winner's circle in the single Atlantic Sires Stakes 'A' division event contested on Saturday (August 28) at Northside Downs for a purse of $17,140.
With trainer and co-owner Darryl MacLean at the controls, Mystifying was sent off as the lukewarm 3-1 choice in the field of eight. Leaving from post three, Mystifying was able to pocket up behind second choice Aspoonfulofsugar (Redmond Doucet) through a :28 opening quarter. As the field straightened for the opening half, MacLean right-lined Mystifying from the pocket to pressure the pacesetter.
A :57.1 half mile took its toll on Aspoonfulofsugar, who had no response for the challenger. MacLean asked for some acceleration from Mystifying and she responded, pacing to the lead and then hitting the third station in 1:26.4 with more than four lengths on his rivals. MacLean kept his filly to task and she was more than a length better than a hard-closing Woodmere Vanish (Paul Langille) in 1:56.3. Elm Grove Penney (Marc Campbell) rounded out the top trio.
Mystifying (Source Of Pride - Dreaming) picked up her eighth win of the season from 11 starts and her 11th lifetime tally. The win lifts her seasonal stash of cash to $32,594, with lifetime earnings just shy of $40,000 for owners Darryl MacLean, Gordon Maclean and Stephen Downey.
Fern Hill General kept his perfect record intact with a wire-to-wire win in the $9,588 Nova Scotia stake for two-year-old pacing colts & geldings. Starting from post five, Brodie MacPhee encouraged 1-9 choice Fern Hill General to press on from the outer post and landed on top over Rollwithhottytoddy (Ryan Campbell) just before the :29 opener. After uncontested middle fractions of :58.4 and 1:29.1, Fern Hill General sprinted home in :29.2 under no urging to trip the timer in 1:58.3. Rollwithhottytoddy was two and a half lengths back in second with Saulsbrook Raptor (Jason Hughes) completing the triactor.
Earl Smith trains Fern Hill General (Malicious - Noble Ellen) for owners Peter Smith of Stratford and Gerald Morrissey of Vernon River, P.E.I. The winner's share of Saturday's stake pushes his lifetime bankroll to $33,186.
Elm Grove Penelope followed those front-stepping tactics to deliver as the public choice in the single $3,000 Atlantic Sires Stakes 'B' division for three-year-old pacing fillies, winning in 2:00.3 for driver Redmond Doucet, trainer and co-owner Stephen Lewis and co-owner Henry Poswiata of Sydney, N.S.
Southwind Ricardo (Harold Leblanc Jr.) pounced on weary pacesetter Rockemsockemscott in the $1,500 Winners Over class, emerging from the pocket around the far turn to take the lead turning for home and holding off Wildcat Jet (Mark Pezzarello) to win his second start at this level in six days. On Monday, he tripped the timer in 1:57.3 and on Saturday he stopped the clock in 1:58.1 for trainer Harold Le Blanc and co-owners Joel Le Blanc of Victoria Mines, William Seymour and Bernie Gillis of Glace Bay, N.S. The eight-year-old gelded son of Dragon Again - Southwind Rio now sports $113,953 in earnings.
To view the results for the Saturday card of harness racing from Cape Breton, click the following link: Saturday Results - Northside Downs.