After finishing third in her elimination heat held earlier on the card, Elm Grove Dallas pulled off a 14-1 upset in the $13,754 Maritimer Stake final for three-year-old filly pacers on Saturday afternoon at Exhibition Park Raceway
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In the first of two $10,315 eliminations, Orally Yours and driver Todd Trites made the lead after the opening quarter ahead of Run Them Down (Stephen Mason). Once in control, the Cammibest-Le Win Skied filly plowed past the remaining poles en route to a 2:02.3 victory. Southview Whitney (Walter Cheverie) finished a length and three-quarters behind in second off a pocket trip and R Es Miss Mcardle (Earl Smith) was third with Run Them Down earning the fourth spot to make the final. Dr. Hugh Baird trains and owns the homebred filly, who scored her fourth win of the season.
N Xample Deal stole the show in the second elim with a 2:03.3 wire-to-wire score for driver Gord Hennessey and trainer/breeder Hughie Murphy. Elleofnxample (Clare MacDonald) followed the leader to finish a length and a quarter behind in second with Elm Grove Dallas (Robert MacInnis) finishing third and Putnams Wonder (Mike Stevenson) in fourth. The win extended the N Xample-Samantha Deal filly’s current win streak to four for owner Molly Murphy of Borden-Carleton, P.E.I.
In the final, Elm Grove Dallas and MacInnis edged out both elim winners after rallying from sixth at the head of the stretch. The Rayson Hanover-Mystical filly got away sixth from Post 5 as Trites took Orally Yours to the top and carved out fractions of :29.2, 1:00.1 and 1:30.4. Elm Grove Dallas, who was third-over through the middle panels, kicked into action for the stretch drive and used a :30.3 final quarter to come on for the win by a neck. The 14-1 longshot stopped the clock in 2:02.1 over a track downgraded from good to sloppy and rated three seconds off.
Orally Yours held for second while Elleofnxample journeyed first-over to finish a quarter-length behind in third, but was placed fifth for causing interference at the three-eighths mark. N Xample Deal, who finished a half length behind in fourth, thus inherited the show dough.
Elm Grove Dallas is owned by trainer Vance Cameron of Summerside and breeder Robert Gordon of Elmsdale, P.E.I. The win counted as her third in 11 starts this year bringing her earnings to nearly $20,000. The winner of five races lifetime now sports a bankroll totaling $28,555.
In other action, driver Gilles Barrieau enjoyed a standout Saturday at the track recording five wins on the 16-race card.
Barrieau won the first and fourth races with the Mary Clancy pupils Longworth Legacy (2:03.2) and Crowley Creek (2:03.4). He also won the seventh race with Magnetic Benka (2:02.4), who he trains himself. Barrieau picked up wins in Race 10 for trainer Rosaire Barrieau aboard Slim N Sleek (2:01.2), Race 14 with Spring It On Me (2:04) for trainer Dale Spence, and in Race 15 with All Star Dragon (2:01.3) for Stacy Gay.
The resident of Saint John, N.B., who has 67 wins on the year with over $165,000 in earnings, has recorded 3,123 wins over the course of his career earning over $5.5 million in purses.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click here.