Future Million pulled off a 13-1 upset in the $20,000 Ray McLean Memorial Pace while driver Jody Jamieson added another driver’s challenge title to his resume during Clinton Raceway’s season finale on Sunday
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Future Million and Brandon Campbell closed out the card with the 1:54.4 upset victory in the Ray McLean Memorial Pace.
Leaving from the inside post position, Cavin Hanover (Jody Jamieson) took control of the field and led the way past opening fractions of :28.3 and :57.3 before Campbell sent Future Million first up from third and poked a head in front at the 1:26.4 third quarter mark. The four-year-old homebred son of Million Dollar Cam-Future Champion put away the pacesetter as they entered the stretch and unleashed a :28-second closing quarter to secure the victory by three and a half lengths. Favourite Monster In Law (Mark MacDonald) and Livefreeordiehard (Sylvain Filion) came on for second and third.
Future Million paid $29 to win for the upset. The John Smith Jr. trainee earned his fourth win of the season in 15 starts while lifting his earnings to $34,300. The win was his ninth lifetime and pushed his overall earnings to $310,907 for owners Donald and Kerry Lowes of Princeton, Ont.
Prior to the featured finale, four of Canada's top drivers including Jody Jamieson, Mark MacDonald, Sylvain Filion and Mario Baillargeon competed alongside Clinton's own Trevor Henry, Bruce Richardson, Jason Brewer and Alfie Carroll in the track's 31st annual Charity Driver's Challenge contested over the first 11 races.
Adding to his World Driving Championship and the Tioga Downs Drivers Challenge titles earned this year, Jamieson recorded five wins on the day and earned 311 points to secure the Clinton Charity Driver's Challenge title. Two-time winners on the day Henry (200 points) and Brewer (164 points) finished second and third respectively. Richardson (144 points), Carroll (101 points), Baillargeon (92 points), Filion (78 points) and MacDonald (60 points) rounded out the leaderboard.
All drivers on today's card supported the local high school, Central Huron Secondary School and their challenge day initiatives. This is the third year that the high school had benefited from the day’s events, including a bake sale, silent auction, car wash and BBQ.
While Henry settled for runner-up honours in the challenge, he secured the overall 2011 driving title at Clinton with 38 wins on the season. Paul Taylor won the training title with 11 wins during the meet.
Also, the program of racing saw Western Fair's Greg Blanchard stay true to his end of a bet when he pulled Jessica Carnochan around the track while sporting a pink tutu. To view an up-close shot of Blanchard strutting his stuff, click here.
For results from Sunday's harness racing card, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Clinton Raceway.