Two-year-old colt Dusty Lane Galaxy kicked off the final preliminary round of Atlantic Sires Stakes for trotters with another winning effort on Wednesday evening at Inverness Raceway.
Dusty Lane Galaxy turned in a 2:08 triumph in the first of two $7,040 freshmen divisions to complete the regular Sires Stakes season with a perfect four-for-four record.
The divisional point leader turned back first over challenger Villager (Brian MacPhee) and then held off Saulsbrook Pippa (Corey MacPherson) to win by three-quarters of a length. Hope Chest (Walter Cheverie) finished three and three-quarter lengths behind in third.
Stacey Lund trains the popular Pjs Nabby colt for P.E.I. owners Peter Buchanan of North Wiltshire and the Estate of George L. Boswall of Frenchfort. Dusty Lane Galaxy now boasts five career wins in six starts with more than $15,000 in earnings.
B J Comanche wired the other group of two-year-old trotters to score his first ATSS victory in 2:06.4 with Clare MacDonald in the driver's seat. Second-leading point earner Phantom Beau (Walter Cheverie) finished one length behind in second while Scarlet Macdream (Darryl MacLean) rounded out the top three finishers over seven lengths in arrears.
The homebred Bo W colt, who has won half of his six career starts while banking over $10,000 in purses, is owned and trained by Bert Honkoop of Montague, P.E.I.
His winning time set a new track record for freshman colts, shaving two-fifths of a second off Firedance Ridge's former mark taken in 2008. The overall male record stands at 2:06.1, which was established by gelding Majian Dillon, last year's Atlantic Breeders Crown sophomore champion.
This year's sophomore division leader Taliesin sat out of the fourth leg after winning all three of his previous ATSS assignments leaving the door open for first-time winner Topway and filly West River Xcel to step up.
Driven by Walter Cheverie, Topway sat third for most of the mile before out-sprinting Irish Lullaby (Danny MacDonald) to the wire in 2:04.2 in their $7,100 split. His winning margin was one and a quarter lengths with Northern Trapper (Brian MacPhee) trailing 15-1/2 lengths behind in third.
The son of Pjs Nabby is trained by Blayne White for Sandra White of Belle River, P.E.I.
He earned his first career win from 20 starts in record-setting fashion. Topway shaved nearly two full seconds off Rustico Morgan's long-standing 2:06.1 sophomore colt record set in 2001. The gelding record is 2:02 flat and was established by Super S Crosby in 2008.
West River Xcel gave MacDonald her second ATSS win of the night as she rallied home from fourth to take the final division in 2:03.2 by a quarter-length over Northern Dust (Corey MacPherson). Oceanview Kate (Mike Stevenson) finished five and a half lengths behind in third as the second-leading sophomore in the ATSS standings and race favourite.
The win was West River Xcel's first in ATSS action this year and second in six starts. MacDonald's West River Stock Farm of Antigonish, N.S. owns the homebred daughter of Northern Bailey.
In other racing action, nine-year-old pacer Truth Or Dare earned his 50th career win on the card with Ryan Campbell aboard for local trainer and co-owner Walter Walker. His 1:59.1 wire-to-wire effort was his fastest out of five wins this year. Walker and Kayla Anne Habicht share ownership of the Camluck gelding.
To view Wednesday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Wednesday Results - Inverness Raceway.