A two-win performance on the same day is rare in this day and age, but Howmacfiesty can add her name to the short list thanks to her wins in Friday’s Maritimer Stake for three-year-old pacing fillies at Exhibition Park Raceway.
Howmacfiesty was the leader from start to finish in her $6,663 elimination for trainer/driver Danny Romo. The daughter of Carnivore-Bradelle, who was sent off at odds of 8-1, led while racing parked to the quarter in :29.4, but she eventually worked her way to the pylons and chopped out middle splits of 1:00.3 and 1:30.3. She fired home in a :30-second clip to win by 1-1/2 lengths over Howmacscanasta in 2:00.3. Southfield Sassy and race favourite West River Ambyr rounded out the top four finishers, and in doing so they also punched their tickets to the second – and final – heat of the event.
Pownal Bay Style also used front-stepping tactics to capture her $6,663 elimination for the team of driver Gilles Barrieau and trainer Tom Weatherbie. She sliced out splits of :29.2, 1:00.2 and 1:29.4 before scooting home in :30.2 to win by a half-length margin over Paradise Paradox. Race favourite Shalara was third, with Silverhill Cupid taking home fourth prize.
Ian Smith and the Estate Of Kelsie Buchanan share ownership on the daughter of Camshaft Hanover-Stylet Hanover. She’s a three-time winner with earnings in excess of $15,000.
Howmacfiesty got much more pari-mutuel respect in the $8,884 final, and she showed her versatility in coming through for the backers that sent her off as the 6-5 second choice in the wagering.
Pownal Bay Style and Paradise Paradox battled through first-half fractions of :28.2 and :58.2 while Howmacfiesty tracked intently from third. Romo angled his charge to the outside in the backstretch, and after making a three-wide sweep Howmacfiesty only needed a :31.3 closing panel to win by 1-3/4 lengths over Shalara in 2:00.4. Southfield Sassy was third.
Thomas Hawco, Jr. of Sydney, NS owns Howmacfiesty who improved this year’s record to 3-2-4 from 13 starts with the two-win performance on the card. The seven-time winner pushed her lifetime earnings over $50,000 with the wins.
The undercard featured a pair of special events which honoured a pair of late, great horsemen.
OK Galahad handily won the $4,000 Milton Downey Memorial Pace in 1:58.1 for trainer/driver Jason Hughes and partners Foxyhall Racing and Robi Hughes while Jackson K Down rallied for a narrow triumph in 1:59.3 in the $2,100 Jim Doherty Memorial Pace. Gilles Barrieau mapped out the winning trip for the Steve Mason trainee who is owned by Downey Stables of Quispamsis, NB.
To view results for Friday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Friday Results – Exhibition Park Raceway.