Hiawatha Horse Park's meet-leading driver Garrett Rooney and four-year-old mare Global News won the Preferred Trot featured on the season finale in Sarnia, Ont. on Saturday night, Sept. 23.
Rooney set out from the inside post with Global News in the $5,000 top trot but had to settle for the pocket trip as favourite Wrap And A Hooey (Nick Steward) forged ahead through a :28.1 opening quarter. Wrap And A Hooey stole a second quarter breather to the half in a minute while Jooner (Dennis Duford) went first-up to press the pace to three-quarters in 1:29.1. As the compact field of five trotters turned into the homestretch, Global News rallied between the top pair to win in 1:59 flat by 1-1/4 lengths. Monteverdi (Natasha Day) closed from the back of the pack to finish second over Jooner while Workinitonbroadway (Donald Rankin) edged out Wrap And A Hooey in fourth.
Global News, a five-time winner at the Hiawatha meet, was the 5-2 third choice on the toteboard and paid $7 to win. Angie Carroll trains and owns the Archangel mare, who earned her ninth career win and lifted her bankroll to $75,702.
With a driving hat trick on the 10-race card, Rooney ended the meet with 44 wins atop the driver standings. It was a tight race for the runner-up honours with Andy Moore adding one win in the Saturday opener to stay ahead of Dan Clements and Natasha Day, who both picked up victories on the season-closing card as well. Moore ended the meet with 23 victories while Clements and Day each made 22 trips to the Hiawatha winner's circle.
Jason Libby was the leading trainer of the meet with 13 victories while Cassidy Schneider, Cameron McQueen and Darryl Laver tied for second with nine wins each.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click the following link: Saturday Results - HIawatha Horse Park.