He Called In Sick and came back for a fifth straight

Called In Sick (Bettors Delight) was scratched with an illness on Jul. 1 while on a four-race winning streak in his debut campaign.

The gelding returned to Grand River Raceway on Friday (Jul. 22) after three weeks away and proved his resilience as he earned a fifth consecutive victory in his best time yet.

Regular reinsman Brett MacDonald sent the three-year-old on a front-stepping mission but pulled him back into a big three-hole gap as leader Sunshine Love (Anthony Haughan) showed him the cold shoulder. The latter carried the field to the quarter in :27.3 and half in :57 with the field strung out behind him.

Called In Sick renewed his challenge as they paced towards three-quarters in 1:26 and gained rapidly on the final turn. Sunshine Love dug in from the lead, but Called In Sick had enough to put his head in front on the line in 1:55. Donoghue Seelster (Travis Henry) finished third.

CALLED IN SICK REPLAY

Tim Myers trains Called In Sick, who is now five-for-six lifetime. He finished third on debut and has won every race since. He moved into Myers’s barn from Gregg McNair’s when David Omicioli of Macomb acquired the gelding in May.

MacDonald piloted two more winners on the day for a hat trick.

The next card at Grand River Raceway features eliminations for the track’s signature races – the Battle of Waterloo and Battle of the Belles. The 11-race program begins at 6:30 p.m. EDT.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink