Betterthancheddar colt sweeps Harvest Series

Leave It To Luther (Betterthancheddar) completed his harness racing sweep of the Ontario-sired Harvest Series for sophomore pacing males as he captured the $51,100 final on Saturday (Nov. 24) at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

James MacDonald called for speed from post nine and was four-wide into the first turn before tucking second-over behind the pressing Full Horse (Chris Christoforou). Full Horse took over at the quarter in :27.2, but Leave It To Luther marched past him shortly after and reached the lead just past three-eighths. Bets Show Off (Brett MacDonald) then pulled out of third in the second panel and pressured Leave It To Luther to the half in :56.2.

The challenger stuck with Leave It To Luther as they raced to three-quarters in 1:25 but backed off at the head of the lane. Arizona Jackson (Jonathan Drury) wound up from second-over and Full Horse was loaded in the pocket as they started the sprint for home. Both attacked Leave It To Luther on the outside, but the leader gutted out the stretch drive to hold them both off and secure the victory in 1:53.1.

Full Horse edged out Arizona Jackson for place.

LEAVE IT TO LUTHER REPLAY

Leave It To Luther is now eight-for-19 this season and raced mostly on the B-tracks before entering the Harvest Series. The colt has earned $80,391 and won nine times in 23 lifetime attempts for trainer Ryan Steward and owner Courtney Pollard of Lucan. He took his lifetime mark last week in the second preliminary leg of the Harvest Series.

Cold Creek Queso shocked with a last-to-first upset in the night’s $36,000 Preferred Pace. The gelding, the second longest shot on the board, trailed the field from the start to three-quarters and fanned widest from well back entering the lane. The stretch drive saw a complete collapse of the early leaders, and four horses took the lead in succession. Points North (Sylvain Filion) struck the front in late stretch, but Cold Creek Queso rallied to catch and clear him by three-quarters-of-a-length for the victory in 1:51.

Emmetts Buddy rallied with the winner but was out-kicked and finished second over Points North.

COLD CREEK QUESO REPLAY

Cold Creek Queso, owned by Cold Creek Standardbred of Grafton, won the Preferred two starts back but had missed three weeks after a fifth-place finish. The Murray Brethour-trained gelding has racked up seven victories this year on 21 starts. The four-year-old is now 14-for-45 in his career with $457,729 to his name.

Doug McNair won four of the night’s 11 races.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink