Two-year-old pacing fillies were in the spotlight on Sunday (Sept. 22) at Inverness Raceway, as a field of five lasses lined up for the $9,802 Nova Scotia Stake. The stakes action took place right after the previous race had been declared a ‘no contest.’
A no contest was declared after an incident occurred early in Race 4. According to the official chart, the Rodney Gillis-driven Macnamarra fell in the vicinity of the quarter pole and the rest of the horses in the race were subsequently pulled up. Trot Insider will update this story with more information when it becomes available.
One race later, in the $9,802 Nova Scotia Stakes, the Darren Crowe-trained and driven Ashestodiamonds ($6.30) turned a two-hole trip into a two-length win for owner David Livingstone of Halifax, NS.
The Ryan Campbell-driven Youbettimagoodone did all of the work on the point, as she cut the speed in :30.3, 1:01.2 and 1:31.2. Crowe had taken all of the action in from the two-hole, but he came calling with his filly in the final frame.
After having been three lengths in arrears at the third call, Crowe and Ashestodiamonds were just a half-length from the engine at the head of the lane. Ashestodiamonds came home with a :29.3 final quarter to post a two-length win in 2:01.3.
Youbettimagoodone hung on for second, while the Angus Bates-driven Elm Grove Ocean rounded out the top three. Bellafornow (driven by Clare MacDonald) and Fast Thoughts (Rodney Gillis) picked up the final two purse cheques, respectively.
After six starts, Ashestodiamonds (Betterthancheddar—Bolero Tam Tam) now has a career record of 2-3-1 and $7,708 in purses.
Rodney Gillis was hot Sunday in Inverness. Although he wasn’t able to win the Nova Scotia Stake, the reinsman won four of the eight races during the program, including the $1,150 Winners-Over Pace, which he captured with the Donald Beaton-trained R Es Aiden ($6.40). The seven-year-old gelded son of Force Of Life went wire to wire from Post 2 and held on for a half-length victory in 1:58.1.
Gillis’ other Sunday victories came aboard Chase N Madi ($7.90), Your Raider Boy ($5.10) and Private Paradise ($6.20).
Three of Gillis’ winners came from the Beaton stable, who sent Chase N Madi, Your Raider Boy and R Es Aiden out to wins on Sunday.
To view the harness racing results for Sunday at Inverness, click the following link: Sunday Results – Inverness Raceway.