Accelerator motors to opening day score

Northside Downs mainstay Accelerator immediately reaffirmed himself as a top harness racing horse at the track by winning in its opening day feature pace on Saturday.

Trainer/driver Greg Sparling accepted the pocket spot with Accelerator going into the first turn as Southwind Ricardo (John Kennedy) sprinted forward to grab the lead. Southwind Ricardo set a :28.2 quarter mile and :58.4 half on the lead with no opposition before Accelerator popped the pocket going toward three-quarters in 1:28.4.

Accelerator quickly stepped around that rival and outlasted a late push from Johnnie Jack (Ryan Campbell) to score in 1:59.1. Johnnie Jack came within a quarter-length as he finished second. Southwind Ricardo held onto show. The winner paid $9.50.

ACCELERATOR REPLAY

Accelerator’s win came in his 2021 debut. The eight-year-old Driven To Win stallion is a 23-time winner on 110 starts, and he’s now earned more than $25,000 lifetime. Shelly Fewer and Shawn Blanchard of Howie Center own.

Sparling was the day’s only driver to win two races.

Northside Downs will be back on Thursday, Jul. 1. The North Sydney, Nova Scotia’s meet was delayed by several months due to COVID-19 restrictions. The Saturday program was its first since December 2020.

For full race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink