A pair of Preferreds headlined the Sunday, April 28 evening card at Rideau Carleton Raceway with Guy Gagnon piloting both Meadowbranch Noble and The Light Speed to victory in their respective classes.
Meadowbranch Noble was the first up at the plate in the Preferred Handicap Trot, assigned post six in the field of six going for $10,000.
Guy Gagnon sent the Mandy Archer student to the top, but Donatover (Robert Robinson) was the first to the wood with Ripped And Ready (Pascal Berube) on his helmet. Meadowbranch Noble ended up caught on the outside in third through the opening panel in :28 before finding space in third along the pylons. Their stay was short, moving out again after the :56.3 half.
Donatover continued on the engine and Meadowbranch Noble moved in second on the outside through the three-quarters in 1:26.2. In the final turn, Meadowbranch Noble accelerated and opened up his lead, leaving the field to fight for second dibs. The Archer trainee won by 3-1/2 lengths in 1:56.3. Crossfit (Jimmy Gagnon) took second and Ripped And Ready grabbed third.
Jamie Copley owns the seven-year-old Explosive Matter-Wen Mars Memo gelding. He won his fourth straight race and 15th career race. In 112 starts, Meadowbranch Noble has banked $250,249.
Meadowbranch Noble returned $2.80 to win.
In race 10, Guy Gagnon took his student The Light Speed to victory in the $10,000 Preferred Handicap Pace, giving himself a perfect record in the Sunday co-features.
Similar to the Preferred Trot, Guy Gagnon found himself in post six, this time with his own trainee, The Light Speed. In this case, the pair did not leave from the gate and instead took back to fifth as a pair of pacers, Dylans Bank (Ryan Guy) and Light The Torch (Pascal Berube), duelled it out on the lead. After the opening panel clicked in :27.3, The Light Speed moved to the outside, but continued in fifth through the half in :56.2.
With a fading cover, The Light Speed tipped out once more to move three-wide at the three-quarters in 1:24.4. A wide sweeping motion left the gelding in charge with open track ahead going into the stretch. He went on to win by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:53.1. Light The Torch, who took command of the field just before the half, had to settle for second and P L Ozzy (Stephane Brosseau) never found space on the rail, but got up for the show.
Breeder Michel Nolette owns the six-year-old gelded son of Moon Beam-Jayma. In 114 career starts, The Light Speed has made 49 trips to the winner's circle and banked $357,714. Of those stats, he has won four times from 10 starts this season to date.
The Light Speed paid $4.40 to win.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click the following link: Sunday Results - Rideau Carleton Raceway.
(Standardbred Canada)