Paula Mason poignantly piloted Pipers Luna, a perfect pacer in her career thus far and the likely favourite for Futurity #33 after the eliminations were contested on Saturday, Aug. 9 at The Loop.
Pipers Luna and driver Paula Mason toyed with their rivals in the first $10,494 Futurity elimination, winning by open lengths in a lifetime best 2:01. Leaving from post two, Pipers Luna launched out for position early and made the front heading into the first turn. Every call was a winning one from there. After fractions of :30.2, 1:02 and 1:31.1, Pipers Luna paced home confidently and effortlessly in :29.4 to best favoured Van Goghing Fast (Marc Fillion) by seven lengths. Made Marvelously (Darryl Mason) and Reys A Lil Trouble (Michel Rey) completed the top four and will advance to next week's lucrative final.
A daughter of Im The Pied Piper - Hammers Rainbow, Pipers Luna is perfect in three career apperances for breeder, owner and trainer Lorraine Rey of St. Claude, Man. The filly returned $5 to win.
Major Threat ($7.40) lived up to his name after a career best 2:02.3 mile in the second elimination. Richard Remillard sat the pocket with the 5-2 second choice as Andys Luck (Glenn LeDrew) carved out initial splits of :31.2 and 1:01. Sensing the time to strike, Remillard popped the pocket just after the half and looped to the lead down the backside. Favoured Wednttalkboutbruno (Dean Rey) followed that move and took his shot at the new leader through the 1:32 third station but wasn't able to wear down Major Threat, a winner by more than two lengths. Wednttalkboutbruno stayed for second with Austins Bud (Michel Rey) and Andys Luck rounding out the top four.
Trained by Tara Isman, Major Threat is a three-year-old gelded son of All Bets Off - Hokie Spirit with a solid 2-1-1 summary from his four seasonal starts. Isman shares both the breeding and owning credit with Garett Isman of Calgary, Alta.
Although unable to find the winner's circle in the stakes events, trainer Sherri Mason dominated the rest of the card with four first-place finishes. That quartet of conquests was topped by Hurry Home ($8.10), who made every call a winning one in the $7,000 Open Handicap Pace, winning in 2:00 over a sloppy surface for owner and driver Darryl Mason of Killarney, Man.
Prior to the Open score, Team Mason connected with Fan C That (1:59.3; $10.30) in the opener and then pulled off the natural hat trick courtesy Hoboken Hustle (2:06; $7.20) in the sixth, Controlthedistance (2:03.1; $4.40) in the seventh and the aforementioned Hurry Home in the eighth.
Sherri Mason came into Saturday's card with six training tallies on the season and she nearly doubled those numbers with her weekend winning spree.
In the seventh race, Fall Out Girl and driver Marc Fillion did not finish after falling due to interference around the far turn. Both horse and driver left the track under their own power with Fillion fulfilling his driving assignments in later races.
For the full results from Saturday's card of harness racing in Manitoba, click the following link: Saturday Results - The Loop.
(Standardbred Canada)