Six talented sophomores faced the starting gate in Monday’s $14,259 Barrieau-McIsaac Final for colt and gelding pacers at Exhibition Park Raceway, and the front-stepping Sock It Away held on for a narrow score in the featured affair.
Sock It Away was parked and pressing Tangled Mind for the lead at the quarter pole in :28.4, but once he cleared Sock It Away easily slipped through middle panels of :58.4 and 1:27.2 before using a :29.3 closing quarter to win by a neck over Tangled Mind in 1:57. Taking home the show dough was Tobins Lightning.
Marc Campbell mapped out the winning trip for the Kevin McLean-trained son of Pang Shui-Someone Like You. Reg MacPherson of Stratford, PE owns the 15-time winner who is 8-for-8 this season. The victory pushed his lifetime earnings over $80,000.
One race earlier in the $1,500 Ken Norwood Memorial it was Instant Shadow going gate-to-wire for the tandem of driver Stephen Trites and trainer Sifroi Melanson.
Trites had the gelding on top through fractions of :28.4, :59.2 and 1:27.4 before using a :30.4 final frame to seal the deal by 3-3/4 lengths over Union Man Hanover in 1:58.3. Fourth-placed-third was Real Bigg.
Ultimate Stable and Robert Kyle share ownership on the five-year-old son of Shadow Play-Ardor Chymes. It was the fifth win of the season – and the 20th to date – for the career winner of $26,268.
To view results for Monday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Monday Results – Exhibition Park Raceway.