Trotters Raise E Daisy and Skyrise Against kicked off the Labatts Claiming Series with a pair of front end performances in their respective $9,500 divisions Saturday night at Georgian Downs
. The series is for non-winners of $30,000 lifetime as of July 15, 2011, who are racing for a claiming price of $12,000.
With Anthony MacDonald in the sulky, favourite Raise E Daisy left from Post 5 and went wire-to-wire to win the first division in 1:58.2, equalling her lifetime mark. The five-year-old Lockkeeper-Sarahs Fraction mare won by a length over pocket-sitter Delcrest Mr Joe (Scott Coulter) while Acuity (Keith Jones) followed four lengths behind in third.
Raise E Daisy paid $3.50 to win. Rene Allard trains and owns the winner of four races in 15 seasonal starts.
The persistent Skyrise Against, with Scott Coulter in the bike, front-stepped his way to a 1:59.2 triumph in the next division while turning back challenges from Mischievous Grin (Keith Jones) and Tymal Yoko (Dan Clements) along the way. The three-year-old son of Windsongs Legacy-Tequila Skyrise then held off Coriander Please (Mike Whelan) in the stretch to win by a quarter length. Tymal Yoko finished third.
Sent postward as the 18-1 longshot in the field, Skyrise Against returned $38.10 to his backers. The win was his third in 10 seasonal starts. Dale Coulson trains and co-owns the bay gelding with Penny Coulson of Stoney Creek, Ont.
For results from Saturday's harness racing card, click on the following link:Saturday Results - Georgian Downs.