After sweeping Saturday's stakes amid a five-win day, Trevor Williams continued his winning weekend in Winnipeg and swept the first three races on a short Sunday afternoon (Sept. 3) card of harness racing at The Loop.
Following up a 2:03.4 score on Saturday, three-year-old pacing gelding Sporty Jewels (pictured above) opened Sunday's action with another victory, this one in 2:05.2, to maintain his perfect record since arriving at the new Manitoba oval. The Sportswriter gelding led most of the way to win by two lengths for Williams and co-owners Adam Mace and Garett Isman.
Making his Loop debut from the Williams barn, Fred and Alice Gilbert's homebred Handsome Dan scored next in 2:02.1, establishing a new track record for three-year-old pacing geldings. The son of State Treasurer wore down pacesetter Igot Socks in the stretch for the one-length victory with Sassy Libby getting up late for second.
Blake Piwniuk worked out the winning trips for both sophomores.
Williams trainees Little Screamer, with Tyler Grundy in the bike, and the Piwniuk-driven Tuff A Buff, fresh off a Saturday score of his own, swept the exacta in the next race. Little Screamer halted Tuff A Buff's win streak at six, prevailing by a neck in 2:01.3 over her late-closing stablemate. Mace owns the six-year-old mare by Hes Watching.
There were just four races on the program with the finale going to Vladimir Kreker's homebred pacer Tagoras in 1:59 flat for trainer/driver Clayton Braybrook.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click the following link: Sunday Results - The Loop.