Inverness Raceway hosted an 11-race live card on Sunday (Sept. 9) which featured the $9,774 Nova Scotia Stakes for juvenile pacing fillies and a pair of $9,620 Atlantic Sires Stakes ‘A’ divisions for freshman male pacers.
The public made the Clare MacDonald-trained and driven Post 1 starter West River Donna ($8.10) its second choice at 3-1 for the Nova Scotia Stake (Race 5), and the daughter of Articulator didn’t disappoint, as she lead at every call (:32.1, 1:04.2, 1:34.2) and opened up in the stretch to record a four and three-quarter-length, maiden-breaking victory in 2:03.3.
Odds-on choice Arc Light (who was driven by Marc Campbell) started from Post 3 and eventually came first-up from fourth, but was unable to reel in Wester River Donna and had to settle for second. Fern Hill Delight (Gilles Barrieau) sat the pocket after a Post 2 start and held on to finish third, more than six lengths in arrears of the victor.
West River Donna, who is owned by Haley Shepherd (of Stratford, P.E.I.), has now banked $7,599 in purses after six starts.
The ATSS action got underway in Race 7, and it was the Gilles Barrieau-trained and driven Red Dirt Boomer ($11.60) that was much the best, as the bay Malicious colt was a gate-to-wire winner from Post 4 in 2:00.1. Red Dirt Rocknroll (Marc Campbell) chased in second through most of the fractions (:29.2, 1:01.1, 1:31.3) and finished second, beaten by two and three-quarter lengths at the wire. Bobjohnski (Danny Romo) finished more than 12 lengths in arrears of the winner with broken equipment. Red Dirt Boomer has now won four of his seven career starts and has banked over $18,000 in purses for owner Daniel Ross (Belfast, P.E.I.).
Woodmere Bolt ($3.20) kept his career unbeaten streak intact in the second of the ATSS divisions (Race 9), as the Earl Smith-trained and driven Malicious gelding paced to his seventh consecutive win. He started from Post 2, cut all the fractions (:30.2, 1:02.2, 1:33.3), and pinned a one and a half-length defeat on Southfield Sandy (Gilles Barrieau), who had taken a pocket ride throughout the mile. Notorious (Marc Campbell), who had raced first up, finished third, two and a half lengths in arrears of the victor. Woodmere Bolt is owned by Peter Smith (Stratford, P.E.I.), Gerald Morrissey (Vernon River, P.E.I.) and Arnold Hagen (Bible Hill, Nova Scotia). Woodmere Bolt has now banked $31,600 in career purse earnings.
Unstoppable Speed ($23.20), who was one of the longest shots on the board, wired the field of the program’s $1,150 Winners-Over Pace (Race 11). After a Post 1 start, the 11-year-old Benvolio Hanover gelding did all the work on the front and paced off to win by almost five lengths in 1:58.1 for driver Andrew MacLean and trainer Joseph Poirier.
To view the harness racing results for Sunday at Inverness, click the following link: Sunday Results – Inverness Raceway.