Beyond Delight roars home in $661,000 Metro

CAMPBELLVILLE, September 3 – Beyond Delight, driven by Sylvain Filion, surged to the lead in deep stretch to win the harness racing $661,000 Metro Pace Saturday night at Mohawk Racetrack.

After breaking his maiden in the Metro elimination, Beyond Delight carried that momentum to a 6-1 upset in the rich final for trainer Tony O'Sullivan and owners Jeffrey & Michael Snyder and Four Friends Racing Stable LLC.

Beyond Delight got away sixth in the field of ten and was able to cruise along behind a hot pace on the front. Windsong Napoleon cut an opening-quarter of :26.4, but surrendered the lead immediately to Classic Pro, who was wide around the first turn.

Ocean Colony, the even money favourite, brushed from third to first in the second-quarter, but Windsong Napoleon was quickly removed to press the public's choice at the half in :54.2.

Beyond Delight was angled off the pylons just after the half to follow the cover of Ideal Wheel, who was quickly rushing up on Windsong Napoleon. Ocean Colony turned aside the first-over challenger and reached the three-quarter pole in 1:22.4, while Ideal Wheel and Beyond Delight were three-wide turning for home.

In the stretch, Ocean Colony's lead was quickly erased, as several horses swallowed up the leader, including a charging Beyond Delight on the far outside. The O'Sullivan trainee took the lead in the final-eighth and stormed home strongly in :27.3 to win by a length.

"The pace was pretty hot, which was pretty good for us," said Filion following the victory. "I was able to get a decent trip and I knew the way he raced last week, if we could just get a decent trip we had a good shot at it."

Darlings Dragon, the longest shot in the field at 60-1, stayed along the rail until splitting rivals late to finish second. Ideal Wheel was third, while Classic Pro was fourth.

A son of Bettor's Delight, out of the Rocknroll Hanover mare Outtathisworld, Beyond Delight was winless in seven starts prior to the Metro Pace eliminations, but found his best stride at the perfect time of the season.

"I'm actually speechless. He raced great," said O'Sullivan. "Like I said last week, he wasn't one of our better ones early on and he's gotten better and better.

"That's the pleasure of training babies and the satisfaction we all get out of it and to cap it off like this, it's unreal and I'm very happy."

Beyond Delight was a $50,000 yearling purchase at last year's Harrisburg Sale. Following the Metro victory, the Bettors Delight colt has two wins in nine starts and boosts his earnings to $370,568.

Beyond Delight's victory gives Filion his second Metro Pace title and O'Sullivan his first.

A $2 win ticket on Beyond Delight returned $14.70.