As the winners of the top class at Northside Downs for the past four weeks, it wasn't much of a surprise that Thunder Alley and Q Ts Charlie were the front pair turning for home in the Winners Over Pace on Saturday (July 15).
More surprising, however, was that Q Ts Charlie was went off as the third choice where the odds between third and last weren't much different.
Thunder Alley and Gerard Kennedy tried to make every call a winning one in the $1,600 Winners Over Pace, crossing over from the outermost post to wrestle the lead away from Runaway Mystery and carve out fractions of :28.3, :59.3 and 1:29.1. The first-over Dellas Playboy (Ardon Mofford) started to lose steam at this point, prompting Shawn Lynk to send Q Ts Charlie three-wide around that rival at the third station.
As the pacesetting Thunder Alley hit the head of the lane, Q Ts Charlie had his number and collared that rival in deep stretch. Runaway Mystery found a seam up the inside to make it close but Q Ts Charlie hit the wire a quarter length the best with the mile timed in 1:58.1. A Better Man (Adam Lynk) picked off Thunder Ally late to complete the triactor ticket.
Jeremy Baker trains Q Ts Charlie for John Murphy of Port Hawkesbury, N.S. The seven-year-old son of Proven Lover - Neverquits picked up lifetime win no. 20 and pushed his career earnings to $23,453 in the process. He paid $16.20 to win.
In the afternoon's second race, Keigan Madden notched his first career driving win aboard veteran pacer Howmac Napolean. Madden, from Scotchtown, N.S., picked up his first win in his 12th drive. He settled Howmac Napolean into second behind a revved-up Pats Pride (Larry Snow) then looped to the lead by the three-eighths mark. Madden and Howmac Napolean set sensible fractions through a 1:00 half and 1:30.4 third quarter before pacing home in :29.2 to trip the timer more than three lengths to the good in 2:00.1.
For the full results from Saturday's card of harness racing in Cape Breton, click the following link: Saturday Results - Northside Downs.