Newcomer Major Dundee paced the fastest mile ever in Northside Downs history on Saturday afternoon to etch his name in the record books for driver Randy Getto and trainer Dana Getto.
Fresh off a victory in Northside's top pacing class in sloppy conditions on June 29, the five-year-old Art Major gelding returned to the half-mile oval for another triumph on Saturday -- this time in a record-setting 1:54.2. Major Dundee is the track's first sub-1:55 winner, shaving three-fifths of a second off Outlawpositivcharg's all-age track record.
Favourite Junebugs Baby (Fraser Turnbull) was challenged by TM Over The Top (John MacKinnon) and Lils Destiny (Greg Sparling) through fractions of :27.4, :56 and 1:25.2 in the afternoon's 15th race before Major Dundee unleashed a :28.4 final frame to storm home from mid-pack for the five and a quarter-length victory. Junebugs Baby finished second and Shake Dont Stir (Jason MacNeill) was third.
Major Dundee returned $8.20 to his backers as the 3-1 second choice.
Randy Getto owns the 16-time winner with Wayne Hardy of Sydney, N.S.
There was another record performance during Saturday's Atlantic Sires Stakes action for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings.
The Rev has now turned in back-to-back track record miles for trainer/driver Danny Romo.
The Western Paradise colt started his sires stakes season with a 1:56.3 sophomore track record equalling win at Inverness Raceway in the June 30 opening leg. His latest victory -- a career-best 1:55.3 effort in Saturday's second leg of the sires stakes at Northside Downs -- set a new three-year-old colt track record in North Sydney, N.S. and was just two-fifths of a second off the overall sophomore standard set by gelding Allbentouttashape in August 2010.
The Rev ($2.40) survived a first over journey to win his $6,960 "A" division by nearly two lengths over pacesetter J B Bolt (Redmond Doucet). Go Ahead (Paul Langille) finished five and a half lengths behind in third. The time of the mile shaved one full second off Junebug Baby's sophomore colt record set last year.
The winner is now four-for-five on the year for Nova Scotia owners Robert Skinner of Truro, Jeffrey Skinner of Hammonds Plains, Stephen Tufts of Truro and Glb Stable of Lakeview.
Romo also steered 14-1 longshot Beach Paradise ($30.70) to a 1:55.4 front-stepping score in another "A" division over even-money favourite Untouchable One (Sean Dooley). Henry Smallwood trains the Western Paradise gelding for Debbie Francis, Malcom Isnor, and Peter Francis of Windsor, N.S.
Jacobs Jackpot ($8.50) was also a 1:55.4 winner for driver Ryan Campbell. The Mantwo colt, who was a runner-up in his "A" debut on June 30, is owned by trainer/breeder James Copley and Russell Copley of Inverness, N.S.
Trainer/driver Clare MacDonald swept both $2,500 "B" divisions with Mr Monday ($2.80) romping to a six and three-quarter length victory in 1:59 and Dynamic Datsyuk ($2.80) prevailing by a neck in 2:00.1.
The sophomore colts and geldings will be back in the sires stakes spotlight on July 13 at Summerside Raceway.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Northside Downs.