Surfin Bali pulled off an 8-1 upset winning for the first time this year in the $20,400 Saugeen Claiming Series Final on a wet and muddy Saturday night at Hanover Raceway
.
The top right point getters from two elimination legs in August returned and competed in the worst of the rainfall.
Starting from Post 5, Found Treasure (Travis Henry), a first and second leg series winner, was quickest off the gate hitting the quarter on the lead in :28-seconds flat. Found Treasure got a :30-second breather in the second quarter hitting the half in :58, and still held the lead at three-quarters in 1:27.2. However, the backfield picked up momentum in the final quarter and Surfin Bali, with Anthony Haughan aboard, led the charge pouring three-wide from fifth before the three-quarter pole. He hit the wire on top of the field in 1:58.1 over a sloppy track rated two seconds off.
Favourite Grinfromharetoher (Mark Estell), a first leg winner, finished second one length behind after getting a second-over trip behind the winner while Found Treasure finished third.
Haughan said afterwards that he felt comfortable with how the race set up, and felt Found Treasure would hold the lead for sometime, but had a feeling the race would unfold the way it did.
Surfin Bali paid $18.00 to win for the first time this season in 10 starts and pushed his earnings to over $15,000 for trainer Meg Crone and owner John Foran of Newmarket, ON.
Hanover plays host to RONA night at the races next Saturday, where one lucky fan will walk away with a $2,500 home renovation courtesy of RONA of Hanover.
To view Saturday's results, click here.
(With files from Hanover Raceway)