A Better Man staking a claim in Nova Scotia

It took only four weeks in Nova Scotia for A Better Man (Betterthancheddar) to win the Northside Downs top harness racing class.

The six-year-old gelding was on top throughout in the track’s Winners-Over dash on Saturday (Jul. 2).

John Kennedy made urgent calls for early speed aboard A Better Man and ensured the gelding secured front-end control from post one in a :28.1 first quarter. Mando Fun (Adam Lynk) made the first move as the field passed the stands and harrassed A Better Man from a length back through :58.3 and 1:28 middle fractions.

Mando Fun could do no more than threaten though, as A Better Man paced strongly to the finish to seal the score in 1:57.4. Mando Fun got within three-quarters of a length as he finished second. Gentry Seelster (Lawrence Snow) was third.

A BETTER MAN REPLAY

A Better Man, who previously raced in Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia, shipped to Nova Scotia when Joseph Lewis of Sydney acquired him in May. He is two-for-four in the province and has earned $83,307 with 14 wins in 94 career starts. Richard O’Donnell now trains the gelding.

Also on the card, two-year-old Roman Raven (Malicious) defeated older horses in his debut effort. Kennedy put him up front and provided sporadic encouragement as the colt cut :29.4, 1:01.2, 1:33.2, and 2:05 fractions in a two-and-three-quarter-length victory. Ranked Contender (Tobago Cays, Lynk), the only other freshman in the field, was dropped from third to second for interference with Astrodero (Robert MacCormick), who moved up from show to place.

ROMAN RAVE REPLAY

David Ferguson of Sydney and Paul Niven of Halifax spent $13,500 to bring the colt home from the Atlantic Classic sale. Kennth Collins trains the seventh foal of the Rocknroll Hanover mare Mall Shook Up.

Racing at Northside Downs resumes on Saturday, Jul. 9.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink