Sweeping off cover into the final turn, Modern Writer dug into tempo-setter Dreaming Out Loud and edged to a track-record victory in the final strides to pull a 34-1 upset in the $7,100 fourth preliminary for he Prospect Series Three-Year-Old Colt Pace on Sunday (Sept. 5) at Leamington Raceway.
Positioned fourth to a :28 first quarter, Modern Writer stayed put at the pylons while Last Three angled first over to press Dreaming Out Loud to a :58 half. Last Three drew within a length of the lead moving for the third turn and remained alongside Dreaming Out Loud to three-quarters at 1:27.4 as driver Lorne House started to wind Modern Writer to the center of the track.
Last Three retreated into the final turn, leaving Modern Writer to dig into Dreaming Out Loud coming for the finish. The odds-on favourite kept Modern Writer at bay through most of the stretch, but the Sportswriter colt with a final lunge landed a head in front at the finish of a 1:58.2 mile, beating the previous record of 1:59.2 set by Grenade Seelster in Aug. 2015. Dylans Bank, off a pocket trip, finished third.
Returning $71.40 to win, Modern Writer won his first race from 10 starts this season and his second from 15 overall, earning $14,350. Trainer Harold Wilson co-owns the winner with Wendy Marshall.
Driver Marc St Louis Jr.—as one of his five victories on the 10-race card—piloted Counter Offer to victory in the lone $7,000 dash for the fourth preliminary of the Prospect Series Two-Year-Old Colt Pace. Sent the 1-2 favourite, Counter Offer faced no pressure through fractions of :28.2, :59.2 and 1:29.3 in progress to a 2:00 victory by four lengths over Smilingbillythekid. Pocket-sitter Dietrich Seelster finished third.
A homebred Shadow Play gelding for Robert McIntosh Stables Inc. and C S X Stables, Counter Offer won his first race from nine starts, earning $13,928. Robert McIntosh trains the $3.00 winner.
St Louis Jr.’s other four victories came with favourites, three of which came with Danielle St Louis trainees. Unabating ($2.80), Tuition Money ($3.10) and Grits N Gravy ($4.00) won for team St Louis while Marc also scored with Michael Rogers trainee Julian I Am ($3.10).
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Leamington Raceway.