Positioned towards the back at the quarter, American Hustle grabbed cover to race third over before kicking wide and launching to a neck victory over tempo-setter Imsporty in the $11,500 Preferred 2 Pace on Sunday, June 2 at Georgian Downs.
Artistic Pick took the lead early before yielding to Imsporty passing a :27.3 opening quarter. Race-favourite Pretty Handsome and Brave World also showed speed from their outside posts but parked and advanced gradually towards the leader approaching a :56.3 half.
Driver Steve Byron angled the five-year-old American Ideal stallion from the pylons moving into the clubhouse turn and stalled heading to three quarters. National Debt swung three wide from the pegs and rushed towards the dueling leaders passing a 1:23.4 third quarter. Imsporty continued to lead into the stretch while Pretty Handsome hung and National Debt edged closer to the front. American Hustle tracked the wide move and swung farther out into the stretch, dashing past the leader late to win by a neck in 1:52.4. National Debt took third.
Trained by Bryan Lawrence, who co-owns with William Brown and Wayne Salisbury, American Hustle won his seventh race from 13 starts this season and his 21st from 54 overall, earning $183,196. He paid $9.60 to win.
While Imsporty almost gave trainer Carmen Auciello a sweep of the Georgian features, he capped the card with victories in both $8,500 Preferred 3 pacing events to complete a Sunday hat trick. Mach Of Shame ($5.50) gave Auciello his first win of the night with a wire-to-wire 1:57.2 victory by four-and-a-half lengths.
Followthewind N later finished first in a dead-heat with Cenalta Call Girl in the Fillies and Mares Preferred 3 Pace, posting fractions of :27.4, :58.1 and 1:26.4 before hitting the wire with the Pam Forgie-trained five-year-old by Allamerican Merlin. An eight-year-old mare by Mister Big, Followthewind N won her fourth race from 17 starts this season and her 16th from 73 overall, earning $105,281. Jonathan Drury steered the $2.50 winner.
Cenalta Call Girl, co-owned by trainer Pam Forgie with Dr. Steve Taylor, won her fifth race from 19 starts this season and her 20th from 64 overall, earning $122,637. Scott Young sat behind the $4.90 winner.
Auciello’s hat trick finished with Big Bang Boom blowing out his competition in the Preferred 3 Pace, going wire to wire to win by four lengths in 1:53.1. Driver Jonathan Drury rated the six-year-old Big Jim gelding through splits of :27.3, :57.1 and 1:24.4 while chased to the wire by Mckinney and Drunkonaplane, whom kicked from off cover to finish second and third respectively. Michael Virdiramo and Auciello Stables own Big Bang Boom, who won his second race from 18 starts this season and his 17th from 91 overall. With $204,220 earned, he paid $4.40 to win.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Georgian Downs.