Rideau Carleton Raceway's Summer Sunset Claiming Series concluded during the first weekend of fall with a pair of finals won by E R Rhonda and Rose Run Slider on Sunday evening (Sept. 23).
The Guy Gagnon-trained and driven seven-year-old mare E R Rhonda beat the boys in the $21,300 final for $15,000 claiming pacers. The daughter of Moon Beam ended the series with back-to-back wins, including her 1:55.1 first-over foray in the final. With a dozen wins on the year, including five since being claimed for $18,750 at Woodbine Mohawk Park in late June by Catheline Pelletier and Daniel Martin, E R Rhonda has earned more than $75,000 during her current campaign.
In the $18,400 final for $10,000 claimers, four-year-old trailing tier starter Rose Run Slider bested older rivals with a four-wide move off the final turn to upset popular pacesetter Sunday Poker in 1:54.4. Stephane Brosseau worked out the winning trip for trainer Yves Tessier and owner Francois Morin, who had lost and claimed back the Western Ideal gelding during the series.
Craven The Beach took the $8,000 consolation in 1:55.3 with Jonathan Lachance aboard for trainer Gerard Demers and owners La Ferme Tag and Lise Darveau.
The weekly $8,100 Preferred Handicaps were won by the Johanne Begin-trained trotter LMC Mass Gem (Jacques Beaudoin) in 1:57.1 and pacer National Debt (Pascal Berube), conditioned by Tessier for Morin, in 1:54.1.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Rideau Carleton Raceway.