Trainer Mandy Archer had a productive evening at Rideau Carleton Raceway on Sunday (Sept. 13), winning three races on the 10-race card including the $9,200 Preferred Pace and the $22,100 Hard Rock Summer Claiming Series Final.
Arhcer sent Kahlua Morning in the Hard Rock Final to a 1:55 victory with Guy Gagnon at the helm. The five-year-old Westwardho Hanover mare sat second while 6-5 favourite Chaleurs Ad took command from post 8 to a :26.3 opening quarter. Mohegan Blue Chip angled first over from third moving to a :56.3 half and ranged to press the pacesetter to three-quarters in 1:25. Chaleurs Ad kept Mohegan Blue Chip at bay turning into the stretch, but Gagnon fired Kahlua Morning from the pocket and charged to a head victory in the final strides. Chaleurs Ad settled for second with Mohegan Blue Chip third.
Owned by Stewart McQueen, Kahlua Morning won her third race from 19 starts this season and her 26th from 83 overall, earning $89,693. She paid $6.80 to win.
After Saulsbrook Lanny ($3.30) won the following race to give Archer two wins on the night, Vegas Rocks delivered as the 4-5 favourite with a wire-to-wire win in the Preferred Pace. Driver Stephane Brosseau sent Vegas Rocks to the top from post 4 and faced little threat through fractions of :27.4, :56.1 and 1:24.1. Bettor Cat mounted a first-over bid into the final turn that proved futile as the eight-year-old Rocknroll Hanover gelding cruised to a one-and-a-quarter length win over pocket-sitter Take The Deal.
Owned by Rachel Archer, Dean Larkin and Joey Sanderson, Vegas Rocks won his third race from 10 starts this season and his 32nd from 142 overall, earning $381,654. He paid $3.80 to win.
A $12,000 consolation for the Hard Rock Summer Claiming Series was also contested, and odds-on favourite Carwins Smore demolished his competition with a 1:56.2 mile.
Holy Chip swept three wide to take the lead by a :27.1 opening quarter while Santanna Tony remained parked wide of American Paradise moving by the stands first time. Santanna Tony lost ground on the pacesetter to a :55.3 half but the front group began to tire moving into the backstretch. At that point, driver Pascal Berube launched Carwins Smore out of fifth and landed on the lead moving to three-quarters in 1:26 to get the jump on the field into the final turn. The four-year-old Sportswriter gelding cruised through the stretch to a nine-and-three-quarter length win over Dry Creek Image closing for second, with Singhampton Kenny taking third.
Owned by Matthew McDonald, Carwins Smore won his third race from 24 starts this season and his sixth from 60 overall, earning $40,053. He paid $3.20 to win.
The $9,200 Preferred Trot went to team Laframboise and Lestenpercent, winning by open lengths in 1:55.3.
LMC Mass Gem led to a :28 first quarter as Lestenpercent wound to the outside from fourth to take the lead before a :57 half. Odds-on favourite Stormont Ventnor tipped first over from seventh moving to the backstretch and loomed towards the tempo-setter moving to three-quarters in 1:25.4. But Lestenpercent extended his lead turning into the stretch, winning by four-and-a-half lengths over LMC Mass Gem with Stormont Ventnor finishing third.
Owned and trained by Paul Laframboise, Lestenpercent won his sixth race from 13 starts this season and his 14th from 63 overall, earning $70,365. Rod La Framboise drove the $7.60 winner.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Rideau Carleton Raceway.