Favourites had a field day in today's eliminations for the Joseph E. Carney Jr. Memorial at Rockingham Park, with Scorpion and Stiletto taking their $17,500 assignments.
Scorpion Moon went gate-to-wire in the opening split for driver Jonathan Roberts, who rated the 1-9 favourite through panels of :29.2, :59.1 and 1:28.2 en route to the 1:56.2 decision over Bo Didley N and Im A Cool Breeze.
"He got a good inside post (#2) and that definitely helped, and racing on a big track like this also helps," said owner/trainer Tracy Brainard. "I thought that as long as he got a good trip he'd be okay. I was just hoping to make it to the final, and now I'm looking forward to bringing him back for it next Sunday."
It was the 11th win of the season for the seven-year-old son of Armbro Scorpion, who now boasts lifetime earnings totaling $392,970.
Stiletto, who was sent off as the even-money choice, also used front-end tactics to post a 1:56.4 winning effort in the second elimination for driver Sean Bier and trainer Crissy Crissman.
The eight-year-old son of Mr Vic, who was voted Canada's Trotting Horse of the Year in 2006, easily disposed of runner-up Slave Dream and Mister Lucky Vec, who finished third.
The $50,000 final of the Joseph E. Carney Jr. Memorial, which is named after the late president and owner of Rockingham Park, goes next Sunday at the Salem, New Hampshire oval.
(With files from Rockingham Park)
To view Sunday's results, click here.