First career win for Currie

Stacey Currie earned her first win as a harness racing trainer on Saturday at Hiawatha Horse Park with Pickles On Top, who won the sixth race in 1:58.1.

Currie’s mare went directly to the front under the guidance of driver Marc St. Louis, made three left turns while cutting fractions of :28.1, :58.1, and 1:27.1, and won by two and a quarter lengths. Pickles On Top is a seven-year-old daughter of Camystic with 13 career wins and $113,467 in earnings from 98 starts. Currie took ownership of the horse on Jun. 18.

PICKLES ON TOP REPLAY

Currie has sent six horses postward in her career, which began on Jun. 12.

Bettor Cat went wire-to-wire in the first conditioned co-feature for his 2021 maiden-breaking win. St. Louis hustled him out from the inside post, and the gelding led through :26.4, :56.1, 1:25.2, and 1:55.3 stations to take the victory.

Bettor Cat, a five-year-old by Bettors Delight, is now nine-of-52 lifetime with $132,250 earned. Mark Goddard trains him for Howard and Joshua Kaufman.

Jayport Hi Class also jumped on the first win bandwagon as he got on the board for the season in 1:59.3 in the eighth race. Trainer/driver Greg Dustin settled the gelding in fourth for the opening quarter in :29.3, then sent him marching first-over to the half in 1:00.4. Jayport Hi Class cleared to the top prior to three-quarters in 1:29.3 and kept his opponents at bay through the final panel for his first win since Jan. 3, 2020 in 1:59.3.

He’s a four-year-old son of Muscle Mass with two wins and $31,357 in career earnings over 27 starts. Ted Melchers and Gys Versteegh own the gelding.

West River Cindy was first-over for more than half the mile in the final co-feature, but the six-year-old mare battled on and earned her victory. Tyler Borth sent her away fifth from post four and pulled her off the pylons after the quarter in :28.3. West River Cindy advanced through the half in :59 but lost ground in the third quarter, which was completed in 1:27.2. The mare re-fired though, and she reeled in and passed the leader with a second wind to win in 1:59.1.

West River Cindy is a six-year-old Gord McDonnell-trained daughter of Armbro Barrister. She has won 26 career races and earned $132,376 from 104 lifetime appearances. McDonenell co-owns with Desmond Robinet and Michael Cecile.

Borth got hot at the tail-end of Saturday’s program and won the final three races. He scored with Woodmere Rio (1:56.4) in the ninth, West River Cindy in the 10th, and Thee Desperado (1:58) in the 11th.

Hiawatha Horse Park will see live racing again on Saturday, Jul. 3.

For full race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink