Two-year-old pacing filly JJ Scarlett led wire-to-wire in a track record performance in the Atlantic Sires Stakes on Sunday afternoon (August 29) at Inverness Raceway.
Trained by Walter Walker, the streaking filly JJ Scarlett opened the fourth leg of the Atlantic Sires Stakes with an impressive 1:57.1 mile in a $9,520 "A" division.
The Tobago Cays-J J Hanna Dawn filly smashed the 1:58.2 track record for two-year-old pacing fillies that was set by Therealdeal in 2018.
With Donald Gillis in the bike, JJ Scarlett rolled to the front and expanded her lead to four lengths through fractions of :29.3, :58.4 and 1:27.4. Down the backstretch for the final time, Therealprincess (Corey MacPherson) was on the move as she advanced into second-place, but JJs Scarlett was game through the stretch, winning by three lengths. Tobins Diva (Gilles Barrieau) finished third.
JJ Scarlett earned her fourth (consecutive) win from six stakes starts and lifted her bankroll to $23,676 for Walker's Wwggmacinnismackinnon Stable. She matched her lifetime mark taken last time out in a seven-length ATSS romp at Charlottetown Driving Park.
The favoured filly returned $2.90 to win.
Divisional leader Boo Yaya led all the way in the second Atlantic Sires Stakes division with Redmond Doucet catch-driving for trainer Robert MacLeod.
Leaving from post two, Boo Yaya established the lead early on with the favoured Woodmere Jazz (Gilles Barrieau) leaving to her outside and settling into the pocket spot. Boo Yaya led the field through opening panels of :29.1 and 1:00.2 before Woodmere Jazz was flushed from the two-hole down the backstretch as they raced by three-quarters in 1:31.3 with Cougar On A Terr (Donald Gillis) on the move from the back. However, no one could catch the front-striding filly as she cruised to the wire in 2:00.2. Woodmere Jazz finished one length behind in second with Cougar On A terr rallying outside to grab third-place honours.
A winner of the first two legs of the Sires Stakes, Boo Yaya now has a seasonal summary reading 3-2-2 from seven starts and earnings totalling $23,128 for local resident Hugh MacEachern and co-owner Ali MacEachern of Truro, N.S.
The Stonebridge Terror-Village Bound filly paid $5.60 to win as the second choice in the wagering.
The fifth and final preliminary leg for the freshman pacing fillies will be held on September 25 at Northside Downs, with the Atlantic Breeders Crown championships slated for October 10 at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at Charlottetown Driving Park.
In regular racing action, Intended Royalty prevailed in a photo finish in the $1,400 Winners Over Pace to close out the program and give leading driver Doucet his fourth win through Sunday's eight races. Owned by trainer Randy Copley and Edward Copley, the 10-year-old No Pan Intended gelding collared leading lady Dan Dar Mal (Alexander MacNeil) as they raced past the third quarter mark and then held off the fast-closing Daddy Let Me Drive (Rodney Gillis) at the wire in 1:56 flat, returning $3.90 to win for the 55th time in his career. Dan Dar Mal settled for third.
The final Wednesday evening card of the season gets underway at 7 p.m. Live racing will continue at Inverness on Sundays through October 24.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Inverness Raceway.