The Racing Under Saddle Ontario (RUS Ontario) riders will be hitting the road this Saturday for Sarnia's five-eighths-mile oval, as a RUS race will be featured on the Hiawatha Horse Park’s 10-dash program.
The RUS contest has been carded as Race 5 on the program and a short, but exciting field of five trotters is set to head behind the gate at 8:12 p.m.
Eleven-year-old veteran Winzel is set to make his first under saddle start in 2016 for owner/trainer/rider Brittney Kennedy from Post 1. The duo raced together in 2015, but had yet to line up an under saddle race start since an impressive qualifier over Flamboro Downs back in May. Winzel is heading into the race off of a fifth-place finish at Flamboro in the Preferred 3 class on September 1 at Flamboro.
Don Wan Veeba is set to return with Danish rider Karoline Nielson for trainer Gord Campbell. The six-year-old gelding raced for the first time under saddle back on August 20 at Hanover Raceway and finished fourth. A regular at Hiawatha, the son of Thunder Road has posted a pair of wins since starting under saddle training. A slight miscue at the gate on September 3 looks to be redeemed this Saturday with a switch back to the saddle.
Four-year-old Angus Hall gelding Demand An Answer is set to make his debut as the sole maiden under saddle starter from Post 3. MAD Barn-sponsored rider Sarah Town has shown some luck with maiden RUS starters this season, as she has already posted wins for the Baillargeon and Arsenault Stables this season. Demand An Answer qualified for RUS back in May over Flamboro Downs with Town finishing second to Gracies Harmony. After nearly a month off, the Shane Arsenault trainee raced at Tioga Downs this past Friday and finished sixth after a break at the gate. Sylvain Filion qualified the gelding back at Mohawk this Tuesday and finished a very strong second in 1:56.3.
Gracies Harmony, who is the lone mare in the field, will start from Post 4 for regular rider Marielle Enberg and trainer Jim Tropea. The nine-year-old mare has earned more than $100,000 in career purses. She has posted a good under saddle season, as she won the $11,000 Battle of Waterloo Day RUS race at Grand River Raceway on August 1. After having made a break while under saddle on August 20 at Hanover Raceway, the duo will be looking to post a better showing this Saturday. If manners are on her side, Gracies Harmony and her Swedish veteran rider have been known to be very competitive under saddle.
Rounding out the field is the seven-year-old gelding Osprey Vision and rider Amber Lawson. Owner Dave Boughton is again training of the consistent trotter who, to this point, has under saddle earnings of over $2,000 in just two starts. The pair finished third on Industry Day and second at Hanover on August 20. The pair shows some very real talent against some very tough trotters and should not be disregarded for a top-place finish.
As RUS Ontario nears the end of its 2016 season, the organization would like to extend gratitude to the tracks, trainers, owners and fans that have made racing under saddle in North America a possibility so far as it grows to build its qualified horse and rider population for years to come.
To view the harness racing entries for Saturday at Hiawatha, click the following link: Saturday Entries – Hiawatha Horse Park.
(RUS Ontario)