Despite being handicapped outside of his rivals, Southwind Amazon made the lead early on in Sunday night's co-featured $6,500 Winners Over Handicap Pace at Rideau Carleton Raceway and cruised to victory in his first start off the claim for trainer Luc Loyer.
Driver Gord Brown sent Southwind Amazon off the gate from the outside assigned post six and worked up past Electric Albert at the :27.2 first quarter mark. The 1-5 favourite fronted the field through a second quarter breather, reaching the half in :57.1. Meanwhile, F Twenty Two advanced first over, but only made it within a length of Southwind Amazon, who raced past three-quarters in 1:26.1 and then opened up down the stretch to win easily in 1:54.3. Electric Albert followed over two lengths behind while Solid Performance finished third.
Southwind Amazon is a six-time winner this year and has earned $66,380 in purses from 19 starts. The five-year-old Camluck gelding was making his first start from the Loyer stable since being claimed for $40,000 on Sept. 19 at Mohawk Racetrack by Fabian Vata of Kanata, Ont.
In the co-featured trot, odds-on favourite Unabating journeyed first over to wear down Rocky Boy for the 1:57.4 quarter-length victory. Guy Gagnon drove the seven-year-old Broadway Hall gelding for trainer Gerard Demers.
Rocky Boy had taken the lead at the first quarter in :28.4 and carved out middle splits of :59.2 and 1:28 while Unabating came first over from fifth, with Caroluzzo following his cover. Rocky Boy opened up on top by two and a half lengths down the stretch, but Unabating won it with a late surge at the wire. Caroluzzo finished three-quarters of a length behind in third.
Unabating earned his second straight victory at Rideau and sixth this season from 18 starts while pushing his annual income to $29,432. He is owned by Catheline Pelletier of Mirabel, Que. and Les Ecuries GLD Inc. of St-Andre-Avelin, Que.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Rideau Carleton Raceway.