Four-year-old rookie wins third straight

Granite Beach (Sunshine Beach) tallied the 11th harness racing victory of his debut season as the four-year-old wired the field for his third straight score on Wednesday (Dec. 18) at Flamboro Downs.

Travis Cullen fired him out from post four, and the gelding led to the quarter in :27.4. Unhurried to the half in :57.4, Granite Beach and pocket-sitter Royal Jk (Paul Mackenzie) accelerated away from the field on the road to three-quarters, reaching that mark in 1:26.2.

Royal Jk chipped away at Granite Beach as they came into the stretch, and House Edge Hanover (Jason Ryan) stormed onto the scene in the last eighth of a mile. House Edge Hanover powered home at the pylons, but Granite Beach held on by a head to win in 1:56.3.

House Edge Hanover finished second over Royal Jk, who was three-quarters-of-a-length back.

GRANITE BEACH REPLAY

Granite Beach is now 11-for-25 lifetime and has earned $49,288. Jodie Cullen trains the gelding for Grace Marshman of Campbellcroft and A1stable of Dundas.

That victory was the second of three on the night for Jodie Cullen, Canada’s leading trainer in wins. She also won with Abovemypaygrade (Sunshine Beach) in the fourth and Yourtheone (Shanghai Phil) in the finale. With Wednesday’s triple, she has taken a new personal best win total this season. Her haul of 227 is more than 60 clear of the next closest trainer.

The next card at Flamboro Downs is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 19, beginning at 6:35 p.m. EST.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink