Blowouts in Mark Austin Series

Stiletto Blue Chip and Bigmachwithcheese dominated their harness racing divisions of the Mark Austin Pacing Series second leg at Dresden Raceway on Sunday.

Stiletto Blue Chip separated from her five foes immediately as she matched pace with the starting car into the first turn and opened up a nine-length gap in the first quarter mile, which she finished in :28. Driver Jean Rene Plante couldn’t rein the filly in as she soared to a 14-length advantage at the half in :55.4 and extended it to 19 lengths at three-quarters in 1:25.2.

The filly’s strides shortened in the final quarter, but she was at no risk of losing and jogged to the end in 1:58. Shes Got The Luck (Garrett Rooney) was ten and three quarter lengths back in second at the wire. Shes A Comedian (Alfie Carroll) finished third.

Stiletto Blue Chip paid $5.30 in her third career win from nine starts. Mike Timpano trains the sophomore American Ideal filly that has now earned $11,402. Wendy Warren-Timpano of Phelpston, Frank Tucci of Burlington, and Seaspray Stables Ltd. of Nanaimo are the horse’s owners.

Bigmachwithcheese crushed the second division field after fighting first-over from post six for almost half of the mile.

Dale Spence launched the gelding four-wide into the first turn and chased the lead on the outside through the :29.4 first quarter. Bigmachwithcheese continued to toil in the two-path until finding the front before the half in :58.4.

Spence fashioned his charge a third-quarter breather, hitting that mark in 1:29.3, and the gelding drew away from his foes to win by seven and three-quarter lengths in 1:57.2. Sir Lucknow (Plante) was well clear in the place position; Shadow Warrior (Carroll) was six and a quarter more lengths behind in third. The entire field spanned 43 lengths from front to back at the finish.

Bigmachwithcheese is now three-for-28 lifetime with $6,545 in earnings. Mackenzie Macinnis of Tyne Valley owns and trains the son of Betterthancheddar.
The Mark Austin Pacing Series is a two-leg affair for pacers that had not won one race or $5,000 as of Mar. 31, 2021. The $12,000 final is set for Sunday, Jul. 4 at Dresden.

Cullen Keefe N ensured all three featured races on the Sunday card were won by open lengths by blowing away Preferred 3 company in the 11th race.

He reported first to the quarter mile station first in :28.1. Pilot Lorne House backed down the tempo as Cullen Keefe led through the half in :59 and three-quarters in 1:29.2. The stallion then took off and left his seven rivals behind in a seven-and-a-quarter-length 1:58 romp. Julian I Am (Carroll) circled the remainder of the field to take place. Come On Barney (Scott Wray) finished third.

That win put Cullen Keefe N over the $100,000 earnings mark. It was first of the season and 19th lifetime. House trains the 11-year-old son of Christian Cullen for Samuel Taylor of Lucan.

Tyler Borth drove four winners on the 12-race program for a grand slam.

Dresden Raceway will be back on Thurday, Jul. 1.

For full race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink