Five horses shared the record to start the day, but Dustylane Zambucca shattered the track standard for three-year-old pacing fillies at Northside Downs during Atlantic Sires Stakes action on Saturday (August 29) to claim it outright.
In the first $9,700 AtSS A division, driver Corey MacPherson allowed favoured Woodmere Skyroller (Brodie MacPhee) to do the heavy lifting on the front end while enjoying a pocket ride around the Cape Breton half-miler with third choice Dustylane Zambucca through fractions of :27.4, :57.3 and 1:26.2. MacPherson right-lined the sophomore filly heading into that final turn and managed to get a neck in front of the pacesetter turning for home. Through a :29.2 final quarter, Dustylane Zamubucca pulled away to win by more than two lengths and trip the timer in a lifetime best 1:56.
The time of the mile set a new divisional track record. That mark of 1:57 was first established in 2011 by Honey Do Jigtime and then matched four times in the nine years since -- Whistys Paradise and Ramblinglily in 2013, Elektra Express in 2017 and Elm Grove Maddy in 2018.
A homebred owned by Dianne Gass and trained by Ronnie Gass, Dustylane Zambucca (Camystic - Dustylane Tate) now sports a 8-4-2 summary from 15 starts seasonal / lifetime earnings of $24,361.
Off-the-pace tactics were also successful in the second AtSS division as Woodmere Harriet posted the minor upset for her first top tier win of the season. Handled by owner and trainer Greg Bailey for her Saturday assignment, Woodmere Harriet was fourth for the first three stations as Saulsbrook Ocean (MacPherson) powered through panels of :27.4, :57.1 and 1:26.4. Those fractions took their toll on Saulsbrook Ocean, and Woodmere Harriet was able to take advantage. Advancing first over through the final quarter, she kicked home in :30 to best a pocket-popping Lorne Valley Barb (Myles Heffernan Sr.) by a half-length in 1:57.4. Saulsbrook Ocean stayed for third.
Woodmere Harriet (Rollwithitharry - Sanfrangelica) picked up her fourth win in 10 seasonal starts and lifted her 2020 bankroll to $11,900 with the victory.
After a traffic-troubled trip a week ago in the $1,500 Winners Over Pace, Runaway Mystery was a gate-to-wire winner for his eighth tally of the year in this week's edition. Brett Leblanc guided the six-year-old son of Mister Big - Phoenix Arcane to victory, winning in 1:59.1 over Johnnie Jack (Redmond Doucet) and Burn Em Up Burr (Gerard Kennedy) for trainer / co-owner Harold Leblanc Jr. and co-owner Gus Burns of New Waterford, N.S.
For the full charted results from Northside, click the following link: Saturday Results - Northside Downs.