Black Tie Bash back on top at Rideau

Black Tie Bash (Chapter Seven) ended a string of four straight losses with a tough lifetime-best harness racing victory in the Preferred-Handicap Trot at Rideau Carleton Raceway on Thursday (Oct. 5).

Robert Shepherd kept the gelding on the outside on cover through the first quarter of :27 and continued to grind after the first-over Raising Rusty (Stephane Pouliot) cleared near the midway point in :56.1.

Black Tie Bash overpowered Raising Rusty despite the urging of Pouliot, and the new leader hit three-quarters in 1:24.2 as favourite Duke Lavictoire (Pascal Berube) went on the attack from third. Duke Lavictoire tucked in for the final turn and came back out in the stretch, but Black Tie Bash had no trouble holding him off and reached home a length-and-three-quarter-length winner in 1:54.

Duke Lavictoire was a clear second. Raising Rusty held onto third.

BLACK TIE BASH REPLAY

Black Tie Bash is striking at a 50 per cent clip through 16 starts this season. All but one have come at the Rideau Preferred level, and his past four starts have all resulted in top-three finishes. Isabelle Darveau trains the five-year-old, who is now 26-for-79 lifetime with $208,708 in earnings, for Robert Shepherd of Mirabel.

Shepherd steered three winners on the card, matching Guy Gagnon for the day’s best performance at the lines.

Rideau Carleton will host racing next on Sunday (Oct. 8) with a 6:30 p.m. EDT first post.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink