It was a trip so nice she did it twice. My Happy Pace made every call a winning one in both of her appearances on Saturday, Sept. 27 at Connell Park Raceway en route to a sweep of The Maritimer Stakes for three-year-old pacing fillies.
The Maritimer is a heat race, with the top four elimination finishers advancing to the final later that day. That stage was set after Tobins Dream and My Happy Place prevailed in their respective $8,530 eliminations. Tobins Dream ($5.10) and driver Mark Haig prevailed in the first heat by half a length over Isle Bea Wickedwon (Gilles Barrieau) in a time of 1:57.1, with My Happy Place ($2.60) and Barrieau repelling a resilient Lady Hess (John Davidson) in 1:57.2.
Tobins Dream and My Happy Place lined up from the inside two spots in the $11,370 Maritimer final, in a race that looked very similar to the second elim. As My Happy Place fronted the field through fractions of :27.4, :56.3 and 1:26, Lady Hess and Davidson applied first-over pressure in an attempt to wear down the tempo-setter. My Happy Place was definitely on top Saturday, closing in :30 for the 1:56 decision. Lady Hess finished a respectable second, three parts of a length back, just ahead of lukewarm 3-1 favourite Tobins Dream.
Ron Matheson trains My Happy Place (Shadow Play - Smilesplace) for owner Pat Morris of Charlottetown, P.E.I. The bay filly is now a seven-time winner this year and sports a 10-5-2 summary from her 23 career starts. The winner's share of the purses from today's haul lifted her earnings to $85,542. She returned $17.20 to win.
Dr. Mitch Downey's Nuttin But Finesse ($4.90) was nothing short of sensational on Saturday, winning the $6,000 Rod Goguen Memorial Invitational by more than seven lengths in 1:54.1. Mike Downey engineered the winning trip for the Ellen Stevenson trainee, winning in wire-to-wire fashion over House Edge Hanover (Barrieau) and Mantario (Haig).
A seven-year-old son of Art Major - Nuttin But Trouble, Nuttin But Finesse sports six seasonal scores and 37 lifetime victories in 130 outings. Today's tally brings his bankroll to $389,817.
Press Time ($3.80) was an impressive eight-length winner in the $2,000 Winners Over class, tripping the timer in 1:56.1 with Barrieau aboard for owner/trainer Zach Cougle of Woodstock, N.B.
Now eight, Press Time (Sportswriter - Flirtwithedealer) picked up his 23rd career victory — third of the season — and lifted his earnings just shy of $125,000.
Before the betting card, Freaky Fanny was an open-length winner in a $4,630 leg of the Standardbred Canada Atlantic Aged Mares Pacing Series, winning in 2:01.2 for trainer-driver Darren Crowe and owner Josh MacDonald of Little Pond, P.E.I.
For the full results from Saturday's card of harness racing in New Brunswick, click the following link: Saturday Results - Connell Park Raceway.
(Standardbred Canada)