Bigtime Ball Triumphs In Open

Published: July 12, 2008 04:20 pm EDT

Bigtime Ball scored a win and posted a new lifetime mark of 1:49.1 in the process with driver Roger Mayotte at the reins in Saturday's Open Pace at Mohawk Racetrack.

Soul Chaser (Mark MacDonald) took an early command of the field posting an opening :26 quarter as Bigtime Ball was gapped out back in fourth.

At the :54.4 half, Secrets Nephew (Lyle MacArthur) tipped out from third with Bigtime Ball following the cover to the third quarter station in 1:22.3.

Secrets Nephew took the lead in the stretch, but Bigtime Ball swept out off cover and powered up in late stretch posting a :26.1 final quarter to win by a head in 1:49.1.

Secrets Nephew was second with Priceless Edition (Keith Oliver) rounding out the top three.

The win was lucky number 13 for the son of Presidential Ball, who is trained by Gord Irwin. The four-year-old gelding has earned over $500,000 in lifetime earnings for Irwin Stables Inc. of Cobourg, ON.

In other racing action at Mohawk, driver Mark MacDonald picked up five wins on the card, including one in race eight aboard the Grey Gladiator, "http://trackit.standardbredcanada.ca/?op=QRAP&id=324616&display=D">Admirals Express, making his racing return to the WEG circuit, in 1:51.2.

The Cambridge resident started the night on a good note with back-to-back wins in races one and two with Pan Larceny (1:52.1) and Sharpshootennorris (1:56.1). He then picked up two more wins later in race nine with Clowns Smile (1:50) and race twelve with Pop Z Pop (1:50.3).

MacDonald boasts 83 wins this season and over $2.5 million in purse earnings.

To view Saturday's results, click here.