Montreal Phil could have used some of the Montreal Alouettes' ability hold off late rushes on Sunday night in the $14,000 Preferred Pace at Rideau Carleton Raceway
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Stephane Gendron was out and driving with public choice Montreal Phil from Post 3 and in his usual style maintained the tempo up front through splits of :27.2 to the first quarter and :56 to the half. Denis St. Pierre was on the move from fourth and pressured Montreal Phil through the 1:25.1 third panel, getting up to look the leader in the eye before losing ground around the turn. St. Pierre kept his pacer on point and his mind on his mission as Tyber King (Gord Brown) closed from the back. In the finals stride, Peenie was able to surge past the fading pacesetter to win by a scant nose in 1:54.3. Tyber King was three parts of a length back in fourth.
Trainer Colin Johnson of Le Gardeur, Quebec holds the papers on Peenie (Real Artist - Tre Cress) with Ecurie JGV Enrg of Laval, Que. The pacer surpassed the $100,000 mark in seasonal earnings with the victory.
The $14,000 Preferred Trot went to newcomer Logans Hero, who made his local debut a winning one for trainer Richard Moreau and owner Keith Cassell of Smiths Falls, Ont. The five-year-old Angus Hall gelding was bet down to even money and driver Guy Gagnon drove him like the favourite he was - on top at every call and on cruise control for a 1:56 win by more than five lengths.
Cassell plucked Logans Hero from a $20,000 claiming event at Woodbine earlier this year, and the investment paid off handsomely. Logans Hero has won eight races and banked more than $105,000 on the season.
Sunday evening’s program of harness racing also featured the second leg of the Findlay Creek Pacing Series with Art Smile standing as the only horse to win two legs. After posting back-to-back wins in 1:56.4 for driver St. Pierre and trainer Gerard Demers, Art Smile was claimed and will head to next week's $30,000 final from the barn of trainer Jamie Copley. Also winning their respective $11,250 divisions this week were Pauls Pass (1:56.1) and Ideal Jin (1:57.4).
To view Rideau's results, click here.