Intended Royalty (No Pan Intended) came back fresh from a week off and beat two harness racing rivals to take the Winners-Over at Inverness on Thursday (Jul. 7).
The public sent him off at the fieldās longest odds of 2-1 after scratches cut the group down to three. He squared off early with Euchred (Walter Walker), whom he forced to take a pocket seat with :28.1 first quarter speed for driver Redmond Doucet. Euchred popped the pocket past the half in :57.1 but made no headway, leaving room for Hippyjohn (Campbell MacIsaac) to swing out and challenge the leader as they passed three-quarters in 1:27.4.
Intended Royalty had no problems holding off another attacker and held strong to the finish for the 1:58.2 victory.
Hippyjohn reduced the gap to three-quarters of a length. Euchred was beaten five lengths in third.
INTENDED ROYALTY REPLAY
Intended Royalty is now three-for-five this season for owners local owners Randy and Edward Copley. The former trains the 11-year-old gelding with 61 lifetime wins in 190 starts and $143,742 in earnings.
Doucet and Donald Gillis each drove two winners on the seven-race card.
Inverness racing will be back on Wednesday, Jul. 13.
For complete race results, click here.
by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink