Stalking the pacesetter throughout, Charlies Dragon zipped out of pocket nearing the top of the stretch and shot to a 2:01.4 victory in the $9,364 Golden Boy Final at Miami on Sunday, Sept. 8.
Heartlandbanysbro took command prior to a :29.4 opening quarter while Charlies Dragon ducked into the pocket. Royal Playboy, racing third, tipped first over past a 1:01 half and advanced towards the leader approaching three-quarters in 1:30.3. Heartlandbanysbro maintained a half-length lead rounding the final turn while Charlies Dragon vacated pocket and shot past the tiring leaders in the stretch. Race-favourite Popcorn Jimmy closed to take second while Royal Playboy held third.
A homebred for trainer Lorraine Rey, Charlies Dragon won his third race from seven starts, earning $9,842. Dean Rey drove the $7.70 winner.
In the race prior Chase The Ace won as the longest shot on the board when besting C R Delight in a photo to take the $8,106 Silk Lace Stakes.
Odds-on favourite Birds I View pushed from the pylon post for the front while C R Delight floated into the pocket ahead of Myomylookatmefly in third. Chase The Ace raced fourth through a :31 opening quarter but grabbed cover as Myomylookatmefly ventured uncovered towards the pacesetter nearing a 1:02.1 half.
Myomylookatmefly stalled in her bid up the backside, forcing trainer-driver Marc Fillion to pull Chase The Ace three wide at three-quarters in 1:33.2. Chase The Ace swept to lead into the stretch and withstood a late rally from C R Delight to win by a nose in 2:05.3. Birds I View faded to third.
Returning $21.60 to win, Chase The Ace competes for owner W. Allen Drader. She won her second race in 10 starts, earning $6,712.
Evermor Legacy kicked off the program with a blowout victory in the $3,240 Juvenile Stake for pacing two-year-olds. Driver Michel Rey took back with Evermor Legacy to sat last in the quartet through a :30.4 first quarter and 1:04.2 half. Rey then launched the Toucam Sam filly for the front and opened a three-length lead passing three-quarters in 1:36.2. She widened her advantage through the stretch to finish 12 lengths better than Munchie Chris, who circled the field for second.
A homebred for Ralph Morrow, Evermor Legacy broke her maiden in her fourth start, collecting $2,070 in earnings so far. Jacques Lambert conditions the $4.70 winner.
Trainer Sherri Mason and driver Darryl Mason swept the Open Pacing events at the tail of the card, but did so by also dead-heating in the $2,600 Fillies and Mares Open Pace. Witch Doctor—a six-year-old mare by Fort Apache owned by Darryl, Sherri and Paula Mason—set a pace of :29.3, 1:00.4 and 1:31.2 while withstanding a far-turn bid from Alot Of Sense. However Noisy Nora rallied from second over to hit the wire in stride with Witch Doctor, stopping the clock in 2:02.1.
Noisy Nora, a four-year-old Custard The Dragon mare trained and driven by Donald Howlett, competes for owners Wanda Howlett, Ralph Morrow and Dwayne Taylor.
The Masons had the lone winner in the $3,100 Open Pace, going wire to wire with Sin Macqueen in 1:59.3. The eight-year-old Mach Three gelding led through fractions of :29.3, 1:00.2 and 1:30.1 and held off a stretch bid from odds-on favourite Prairie Mystic to win by a head. Appoggiatura, who tipped first over past the half to pressure the pacesetter, faltered to third. Darryl and Sherri Mason co-own Sin Machqueen with Aaron Mason and Darin Bouchard.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Miami.