Heres The Magic tracked down race leader Four Starz Speed to take top honours in this week's $6,500 Winners Over Handicap Trot at Rideau Carleton Raceway on Sunday night (June 5).
Gord Brown worked out a perfect pocket trip for Heres The Magic, following Four Starz Speed through fractions of :28.1, :58.3 and 1:27.3 before closing in down the stretch to prevail by half a length in 1:57.3 over the "good" track. Caroluzzo, the 34-1 longshot, came through inside to finish third after Raising Richard stalled first over forcing favourite Unabating three-wide in the third panel. Raising Richard ended up fourth and Unabating, a recent back-to-back winner in this class, was fifth, with early breaker Rocky Boy completing the field.
Heres The Magic, who entered the race off a qualifying win after pulling up in his last pari-mutuel outing, was sent postward at odds of 6-1 and paid $15.50 to win.
He notched his sixth win from 16 starts in his seven-year-old campaign and pushed his seasonal earnings to $26,085. The Kadabra-Blackberry Hanover gelding is owned by trainer Blake Curran and Jason Jamieson of Perth, Ont.
Sunday's card also featured two Winners Over Handicap pacing events, which were won by Aarons Mattjesty and Curator, who both made quarter-pole moves to secure the top spot in their respective races.
Driven by Louis-Philippe Roy, Aarons Mattjesty ($4.40) moved up from an early three-hole and took the lead from Beach Runner A M past the :27.4 opening quarter. After setting subsequent fractions of :57.3 and 1:26.3, he held off the former leader in the stretch to score the half-length victory in 1:56.2. Favourite Whistys Paradise finished one and a half lengths behind in third after a first over bid while a distant Hey Grin completed the field that had two scratches.
Yves Tessier trains the Royal Mattjesty-Touchedbyanangel gelding for owner Francois Morin of Beauceville, Que. The nine-year-old pacer now boasts wins in half of his 12 starts this year, with purse earnings climbing to $22,044.
Brett MacDonald sent Curator ($4.10) from fourth to first as the field passed the first quarter mark in 27 seconds and then carved out middle splits of :56.1 and 1:24.1 en route to the two and a quarter length triumph in 1:53.3. Racing For Space and Viper Select followed in second and third.
Curator is now three-for-seven in his eight-year-old campaign, with earnings at $9,813. The American Ideal-Gallery Hop gelding is trained and owned by Jamie Copley of Kenmore, Ont.
Sebastien Giroux enjoyed a training triple on the 13-race card, beginning with Cliff Drummond ($16.30)'s victory in the third race. Giroux swept the top two spots in the following race with Cedar Dunes ($3.50) and Vincent Van Go, and Boy Meets Grill ($6.30) later topped stablemate Ill Stay Here in the ninth race.