The second round of the Labatt's Claiming Series for trotters was featured on Friday night at Georgian Downs and Pinacle Of Success proved himself once again in the second split
Actions By Chip kicked off the action with career best 2:00.2 victory in the first of two $9,000 divisions for driver Steve Skilton and trainer Mike Lamoureux. The Chip Chip Hooray-Soothing Action three-year-old, who finished fourth to Pinacle Of Success in his opening leg division last week, made a backstretch brush from fifth after the half and claimed the lead from the favoured Skylars Dream (Mike Langdon). The 7-2 second choice extended his lead to nearly four lengths by the top of the stretch, but had to hold off his stablemate Keystone Tristan (Brad Rae), who recovered from a miscue at the midway point. Actions By Chip prevailed by three-quarters of a length over Keystone Tristan while Good Poker Face (Larry Walker) finished back in third.
Owned by Philip Newfeld of Toronto, Ont., Actions By Chip, who was unraced at two, won for the third time in 21 starts.
Pinacle Of Success, sent postward as the 5-1 third choice in the following division, secured the lead ahead of Fast As You (Mike Langdon) after the opening quarter and turned back a challenge from his fellow first leg winner, favourite Duke Of Wellington (Dan Clements), down the backstretch en route to a 2:00.2 score. Burnstone (Reg Gassien) came on to finish a length back in second while Abs Begonia (Steve Skilton) rounded out the top three. Duke Of Wellington, who was claimed by Rene Allard of Saint-Esprit, Que., had to settle for fourth.
Halvin Hamilton drove the four-year-old son of Muscles Yankee-Primacy to his third win in seven outings this year for trainer and owner Wilbert Weatherall of Flesherton, Ont.
The series, which is for non-winners of $30,000 lifetime as of August 15, 2009, will wrap up next Friday at Georgian with a $25,000 (added) final.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click here.