Best Honey Hanover breaks Rideau record

Best Honey Hanover (Art Major) drew off after catching the leader to put an exclamation mark on a track record-breaking harness racing performance at Rideau Carleton Raceway on Thursday (Jul. 20).

Pascal Berube finally tucked the mare into third after being stranded through a :26.1 first quarter. Greytone Treasure (Guy Gagnon) took the field to the half in :55.4, and Best Honey Hanover circled the labouring The Ideal Huntress (Samuel Fillion), spotting the leader three-and-a-half lengths at three-quarters in 1:22.4.

Best Honey Hanover reeled in Greystone Treasure on the final turn, shifted out, and rolled by her in mid-stretch. The new leader motored away by three-and-three-quarter lengths, and as she hit the wire, a new track record for an aged pacing mare flashed on the timer: 1:51.3.

Greystone Treasure held second over the onrushing Whatineedisaman (Ryan Guy).

BEST HONEY HANOVER REPLAY

Best Honey Hanover’s win was her 47th lifetime in 149 career starts. The eight-year-old, trained by Macy Cassell Smyth, has now earned $296,952. Keith Cassell of Smiths Falls owns the mare.

The win was the spark for a natural grand slam by Berube, who won the next three in a row. The streak included the Preferred Handicap Trot, in which he engineered a wire-to-wire upset win with Duke Lavictoire (Royalty For Life) in 1:54.4. Raising Rusty (Stephane Pouliot) closed at the pylons but missed by three-quarters-of-a-length off the pocket trip. Esplosione (Samuel Fillion) was third.

DUKE LAVICTOIRE REPLAY

Duke Lavictoire, trained by Andre Lachance, has now won three straight. The five-year-old has won 20 of his 52 lifetime outings and has earned $107,141 for Suzanne Lavictoire of Ste-Anne de Prescott. He went off at 8-1 on Thursday.

Rideau Carleton Raceway will be active again on Sunday, Jul. 23.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnersslink