Tiring leaders aided fresh-legged Casimir Richie P in the $11,500 Horses & Geldings Preferred 2 Pace, as the six-year-old Astronomical fired for the lead late into the mile and powered home a 1:52.4 winner on Tuesday (Sept. 14) at Flamboro Downs.
Statement Made A sizzled out of the pylon post to post a :26.1 first quarter on the point while Pretty Handsome raced parked and uncovered from fifth. Pretty Handsome gained on Statement Made A moving to the second circuit, but the pacesetter kept the tempo quick to a :54.3 half as driver Colin Kelly angled Casimir Richie P to catch Pretty Handsome’s cover.
Pretty Handsome inched closer to the leader up to three-quarters in 1:23.2 while Kelly kicked his charge off a helmet and rolled after the leader. Circling the final turn, Casimir Richie P swung to the lead and strode clear to a 1-1/2 length score chased home by Ideal Perception. First Class Horse also closed to take third.
Owned by Michael Goldberg, Casimir Richie P won his fifth race from 16 starts this season and his 24th from 94 overall, earning $378,188. Teesha Symes trains the $11.50 winner.
Alongside the Preferred Pace, Flamboro hosted a total of four Prospect Series divisions – three for the sophomore trotting colts and geldings and one for the sophomore trotting fillies.
Arch Hall charged out of the pocket to deliver as the favourite in the $7,200 opening division for the colts and geldings. The Archangel gelding cleared control to a :28.2 first quarter before yielding control to Defcon Seelster moving by the stands first time. In a striking spot through a :58.4 half and to three-quarters in 1:28.2, driver Paul MacKenzie gave the Blake MacIntosh trainee his cue off the final turn and proceeded to draw one length clear to the beam with Mike The Knight rallying for second. Defcon Seelster settled for third.
Co-owned by Blake MacIntosh with Hutt Racing Stable and Jean-Christophe Plouffe, Arch Hall won his first race from 11 starts this season and his fourth from 19 overall, earning $48,436. He paid $6.30 to win.
The $7,100 second division went to Johnny Ping, a coast-to-coast victor in 2:01.1. Trainer-driver Dagfin Henriksen secured the top with the Johnny William gelding to a :30 first quarter and withstood first-over pressure from Willywin through a 1:01 half and to three-quarters in 1:31.2. From there, he held off a late bid from pocket-sitter Get To The Pointe to win by three-quarter lengths at the finish with Moscow Moon coming from second over for third.
Bred by Dr. Brett Anderson and Kyle Anderson, who co-own with Barry McClennan and Dagfin Henriksen, Johnny Ping won his second race from 12 starts this season and his third from 19 overall, earning $32,657. He paid $4.60 to win.
Ranger Rob rolled through a gap in the outer tier to rally and narrowly take the final $7,100 Prospect Series division for colts and geldings in 2:00.3. Riding the pylons as Horoscope set a clip of :28.4, :59.1 and 1:29.2, Ranger Rob entered the final turn locked at the pegs. But when P L Oscar swung three wide to circumvent stalled cover from Delaware, Ranger Rob crept to the outer lane. In the stretch, he then edged by P L Oscar to score a nose decision as Insanity rallied from the pocket but settled for third.
A homebred Angus Hall colt for David and Ben Holliday, Ranger Rob won his second race from nine starts, banking $11,510. Ryan Holliday steered the $12.50 winner.
The single Prospect Series split for sophomore trotting fillies went as an overflow field of 10 with odds-on choice Stonebridge Nitro claiming the gold in 1:59.3. Away sixth to a :28.3 first quarter, Stonebridge Nitro caught cover from Movin To The Top to a :59 half and promptly had to brush past that cover moving up the backside second time. The Muscle Mass filly motored down the centre of the track to chase after late leader Radical J J past three-quarters in 1:29. She slid to the top off the corner and stretched to a 1-3/4-length win over Radical J J while Top Of The Bar took third.
Trained and leased by Melissa Lamoureux, Stonebridge Nitro won her fourth race from 19 starts, earning $23,452. She paid $3.80 to win.
To view Tuesday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Tuesday Results - Flamboro Downs.