Upset-Central At Northside Saturday

Published: September 8, 2018 06:03 pm EDT

Rockin Party made the best of his opportunity to score some much needed points on Saturday, winning his Atlantic Sires Stakes at Northside Downs and punching his ticket into the AtSS Finals on Thanksgiving weekend.

Northside hosted the fifth and final AtSS leg on Saturday, with two $10,020 divisions contested. A three-across finish in the first division resulted in a neck separating those sophomore pacers, with pylon-skimming Rockin Party (Danny Romo) emerging victorious.

Weekend Atnannies (Mike McGuigan) did all the work on the front end, posting fractions of :29.4, 1:00.3, 1:30. Romo had Rockin Party in the pocket throughout, wth favoured Half Cut (Mark Bradley) overland from the half-mile point. As the field turned from home, a railside seam opened up for Rockin Party and Romo guided his charge to that inside lane. Half Cut was parked from the half but still closing on the pacesetter, who has no designs on going away quietly. The photo finish determined Rockin Party hit the wire first in 1:59, with Weekend Atnannies and Half Cut completing the triactor.

Romo trains Rockin Party (Ameripan Gigolo - Fox Valley Shadow) for owners Ian Banks of Truro, N.S., Susan Karrel of East Village, N.S. and Charles McDonald of Cornwall, PEI. With his third win of the season, Rockin Party picked up his first AtSS win and secured a spot in the Atlantic Breeders Crown Championships.

Another colt headed for the ABCs in October is Woodmere Ideal Art, winner of the other AtSS division. The complexity of this race changed early when divisional standout, the seasonally-unbeaten Sock It Away was scratched sick. With his main rival not on the gate, driver Jason Hughes used his rail control to point Woodmere Ideal Art to the top, make four left turns and confidently stride away to a 1:57.2 decision. Blackriver Ripper (Redmond Doucet) closed well for the runner-up spot, more the four lengths in arrears, with first-over challenger Howmac Diamond (Paul Langille) staying for third.

Trained by Sifroi Melanson for Greater Lakeburn, N.B.'s Ultimate Stable, Woodmere Ideal Art (Articulator - Very Ideal Hanover) has assembled a respectable 4-5-1 summary from 13 seasonal starts with earnings nearing $25,000.

On a 12-race card at Northside, Woodmere Ideal Art was the only pari-mutuel favourite to deliver a victory to the betting faithful.

Chocolate Terror was sent off as the second choice in the sub-featured $10,059 Nova Scotia Stake for three-year-old pacing pacing fillies but came away with the lion's share of the purse. Sitting fourth in the early going , Chocolate Terror and driver Darren Crowe challenged pacesetter Elm Grove Maddy (Redmond Doucet) through a 1:01.4 half, cleared through a 1:30.1 third station, opened up on the field around the final turn and held on to win by more than a length over Woodmere Ceilidh (Clare MacDonald) and favoured This Old Millie (Ryan Campbell).

Crowe trains Chocolate Terror (Stonebridge Terror - Chocolate Art) for owner David Livingstone of Halifax, N.S. With a 2-4-2 summary from 12 seasonal starts, the sophomore has secured more than $25,000 in purses this year.

Keep A Secret didn't leave the rail and didn't cut the mile but ended up first on the wire when it counted in the $1,200 Winners Over Pace. Trainer-driver-owner Roddy Hurley stickhandled the eight-year-old gelding inside pacesetter Charlottes Style (Barry Bates) at the head of the lane and outsprinted his rival to trip the timer in a lifetime best 1:59.4.

Kevin Bailey didn't win any of the major events on the card but the Sydney-based horseman did manage a training triple and a second-place finish from his five starters. Bailey found the winner's circle with Spud Island Lucas (Race 1, 2:04, $7.90) and Wildcat Jet (Race 3, 1:59, $27.80) before closing the card with Im A Sumbunnie (Race 12, 2:01.4, $14.30).

To view the charted lines from Northside's Saturday card, click the following link: Saturday Results - Northside Downs.

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