The opening leg of the Clash Of The Pacific headlined Friday’s racing at Fraser Downs as two $25,000 divisions went postward.
In the first tilt, Round Table Review pulled off a 23-1 pari-mutuel puzzler for trainer/driver Scott Knight. The six-year-old Cambest gelding got away mid-pack in fifth and sat patiently as Meekos Trucker (Barry Treen) and B Bar Marilyn (Tim Brown) locked horns through a spirited half of :26.4 and :54.4.
Knight moved Round Table Review to the outside in the third quarter, and that is when the action got even hotter. At the 1:23.2 three-quarters, seven of the nine pacers were on the outside, with Round Table Review finding himself in a blind switch from fifth.
With horses on each side, Knight somehow managed to find clearance and Round Table Review emerged from the pack to win by a half-length in 1:53.4. Reserve Forces (Dave McKellar) was second while Grand Bend Turbo (Dave Hudon) finished third.
Round Table Review is owned by Kelly Hoerdt and Blair Corbeil. In 17 starts this season, he has collected three firsts, seconds and thirds along with $43,680 in purses. Now a 19-time winner, he pushed his earnings to $188,154.
Things were much different in the second split as Classy Character posted his third straight win when he went coast-to-coast from Post 8. With Tim Brown driving, the six-year-old Shady Character gelding set the tempo in :27.1, :56.3 and 1:24.2.
Stonebridge Camelot (Billy Davis Jr.) drew within a half-length of Classy Character around the final turn, but that was as close as anyone would get. Classy Character paced away down the lane and won by a length and a quarter in 1:53.
Trust The Artist (Scott Knight) rode the rail into second and Stonebridge Camelot won the show photo.
Amber Lancaster does the training on Classy Character, who is 11-2-1 in 16 seasonal starts with earnings of $78,585, for partners Sandra Brown and Jack Thompson. The victory was the 20th lifetime and boosted his bankroll to $210,083.
The second leg of the Clash of the Pacific is next Friday.
To view Fraser’s results, click here.