The Atlantic region's top two-year-olds converged at Truro Raceway on Sunday afternoon to compete in the final Maritime Breeders Stakes.
Atlantic Breeders Crown champion Carol Alice added the Maritime Breeders title to her resume with a wire-to-wire winning effort in the $35,375 final for two-year-old pacing fillies.
With the inside post advantage and Truro's leading reinsman Ryan Ellis catch-driving, Carol Alice fired to command and cruised past fractions of :30.3, 1:02.4 and 1:31.2 en route to the four and three-quarter length triumph in 2:00.3. Top Brand (Danny Romo) and Ramblinglily (Darren Crowe) rounded out the top three finishers.
The chestnut daughter of Brandons Cowboy and Keltic Sarah now boasts eight wins and five seconds in 13 career starts and earnings totalling $58,432 for owner and trainer Douglas Rankin of Sydney, N.S. She was bred by Donald Rankin Jr. of McGregor, Ont. and The Keltic Racers of Brighton, Michigan.
Carol Alice, who was edged out by Ramblinglily at the wire in her elimination, paid $3.30 to win as the odds-on favourite.
Forever Paradise upset Atlantic Breeders Crown champion Untouchable One in the $36,470 two-year-old colt final.
Untouchable One (Kenny Arsenault), the favoured elimination winner, left from post four and carved out fractions of :28.1, :58.3 and 1:28.2 before being overtaken by the late-charging Forever Paradise and driver Marc Campbell. The Western Paradise-Mariart gelding unleashed a :28.2 final frame to close from sixth and score the 1:57.3 triumph. Untouchable One settled for second one and a quarter lengths behind while pocket-sitter Scarlet Chaser (Clare MacDonald) finished third.
Forever Paradise notched his fifth win of the season in 12 starts and boosted his bankroll to $34,933 for trainer Kevin MacLean and owners Reginald MacPherson and David Mackenzie of Stratford, P.E.I., and Aaron MacKenzie of Winsloe, P.E.I. The $5,500 Atlantic Classic Sale purchase was bred by Arthur and Colin Millar of Tyne Valley, P.E.I.
Forever Paradise, who finished fourth in his elimination behind this week's breaker The Rev, paid $13 to win as the 5-1 third choice.
Rash Statement completed a sweep of the Maritime Breeders elimination and $9,660 final for two-year-old trotters earlier in the day with Mike Stevenson at the helm.
Rash Statement fired off the gate from post two, but gave way to filly West River Xcel (Clare MacDonald) past the :30.4 opening quarter. He waited patiently in the pocket while the new leader battled with I Aint No Lady (Garth Cole) through middle fractions of 1:01.3 and 1:33.4 before kicking home for the two and a quarter length victory in 2:06.2. Taliesin (Marc Campbell) came on for second over West River Xcel and I Aint No Lady.
The Northern Bailey-Reloaded gelding, now two-for-10 this year with $12,004 banked in purses, is owned and trained by Joseph Smallwood of Stratford, P.E.I. The $2,500 Nova Scotia Provincial Exhibition Sale purchase was bred by Bill Andrew of Calgary, Alta.
Rash Statement paid $5.70 to win as the bettors' choice.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Truro Raceway.