Fern Hill double in Barrieau-McIsaac elims

Fern Hill Acres products swept the Barrieau-McIsaac eliminations held on a sloppy Exhibition Park Raceway surface on Saturday (Jul. 2).

Fern Hill Gusto (Stonebridge Terror), coming off a win in the Maritime Breeders, toughed out a first-over effort through the mud to take a very tight victory in the first elimination.

He traveled fourth through the :30.2 opening quarter before Marc Campbell called for a first-over move as the field swung towards the half. The colt moved up to the leader’s wheel by the half in 1:02.3 but began to stall as they passed three-quarters in 1:32.4.

Fern Hill Gusto found more pace on the final turn and muscled to the front in deep stretch with Mitch (Todd Trites) and Alldawaytocardigan (Myles Heffernan, Sr.) flying from the back. The colt was dead game for the pair of closers, but the finish came in time for him to hold on in 2:03.2 on a track graded four seconds slow.

Mitch missed by a nose. Alldawaytocardigan was a quarter length behind in third. Zendayacougarbeach (David Dowling) took fourth. The winner was a slight favourite at 6/5.

Campbell also trains Fern Hill Gusto. The colt has won four of his 14 lifetime starts and brought in $34,056 for Grayland Farm of Gulf Shore.

Fern Hill General (Malicious) cruised in the second division off a confident steer from driver Brodie MacPhee.

Starting from post five, MacPhee refused a spot on the inside to push the gelding onwards for the lead. They were a parked-out third at the quarter in :29.1 and motored to the front shortly after. Fern Hill General headed :59.4 and 1:30.2 middle splits and kicked away under pressure into the final turn.

The gelding opened up three lengths down the lane and stopped the clock in 2:01.1.

Orrsterror (Gillies Barrieau) attempted to circle the leader in the final quarter but settled for place. Soul Assassin (Dowling) was third. Howmac Maximus (Trites) rallied from last to snag the last spot in the final.

Earl Smith trains Fern Hill General. The gelding has earned $54,428 and won nine times in 19 lifetime outings for Peter Smith of Stratford and Gerald Morrissey of Charlottetown. He scored two stakes wins in divisions of the Donnie and George Turner Memorial and Phil Pinkney Memorial at Truro earlier this year.

The top four from each elimination will contest the final on Jul. 9 at Exhibition Park.

Also on the card, Miss Countour (Shadow Play) went wire-to-wire on debut in the N.B. Breeders first leg for two-year-old pacers.

She was the only starter with her nose on the gate and strolled to an early lead despite taking the first turn wide. Dowling encouraged her to put a racy Nannie Bernice (Wayne Hubbard) into the pocket, and Miss Countour continued on top to the quarter in :32.4.

She cruised to the half in 1:07, quickened to keep Nannie Bernice at bay to three-quarters in 1:37.3, and sailed to victory in 2:09. Nannie Bernice was in striking range the whole way but was two lengths short in a disjointed mile. Brookdale Seb (Bernard McCallum), the odds-on favourite, recovered from a break at the beginning and finished second.

Miss Countour sold for $26,000 at the Atlantic Classic Sale. Buyers David Burke, Matt Burke, and Don MacNeill enlisted Dowling to train the filly. She is the second foal of Rocknroll Hanover mare Raquel.

The N.B. Breeders second leg for the rookie pacing fillies is set for Aug. 5 at Woodstock. The final will be held at Exhibition Park on Oct. 15.

Exhibition Park racing returns on Saturday, Jul. 9.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink