Fall Bliss delightful for Downey

Thirteen-year-old Fall Bliss notched his 54th career win on Monday as the Exhibition Park mainstay wired the feature pace harness racing field at his home track.

Driver and owner Dr. Mitchell Downey showed the ridgling the whip entering the first turn and encouraged him to the front. Fall Bliss produced a :28.4 first quarter mile clocking before Paris Beau (Todd Trites) made a first-over move from third. The latter pressured the leader in a :58.2 half and sustained the bid to three-quarters in 1:28.2.

Fall Bliss began to edge away under urging from Downey, and Paris Beau had little stamina remaining to fight with. Fall Bliss opened up by three lengths entering the stretch and maintained that margin to the finish, which he passed in 1:58. Paris Beau held second; Ebandtheboys (Colin Decourcey) finished third.

FALL BLISS REPLAY

Fall Bliss has now earned $220,747 in his 193-start career to date, despite the fact that the journeyman ridgling has never made more than $10,000 in a single race and not more than $1,000 at one time since May 2018. Ellen Stevenson trains the $13 winner for Downey, who lives in Saint John.

Todd Trites won back-to-back races and was the top driver on the five-race-card.

Exhibition Park will be dormant for the next two weeks and return on Saturday, Jul. 24.

For full race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink