Miss Rockadali braves rain for Preferred win

Miss Rockadali (Dali) notched her 30th career harness racing victory and 12th of the season at a rain-covered Flamboro Downs in a pacesetting effort in the Fillies and Mares Preferred Handicap.

The mare performed a first-quarter give-and-go, making the front only to be passed by Beach Moment (J. Bradley Harris) and re-igniting into the brunt of the driving rain on the backstretch. She retook command for Tyler Borth as she reached the quarter-mile marker in :27.3 and completed the half in :57.3.

Coz Im Special (Travis Cullen) brought pressure as the field turned onto the backside, but Miss Rockadali began rebuffing her as they moved through three-quarters in 1:26.1. The leader vanquished the challenger at the top of the stretch and finished strongly on the wet track to win in 1:56.4.

So Frisky (Colin Kelly) rallied from last at the half to finish second. My Mother Pearl (Anthony Haughan) finished third.

MISS ROCKADALI REPLAY

Miss Rockadali’s earnings now total $287,731, which has been procured across 160 starts. Clifford McGuire trains the seven-year-old mare for Nancy McGuire of Belle River.

Also on the card, Patwearsthepants (Big Jim) won her first race in more than two years, breaking a 57-outing losing streak. The six-year-old, taking her second career victory, passed three rivals late to get up by a half-length in 2:01. Paul Mackenzie steered the mare for owner/trainer Darren Rayner of Caledonia.

Borth shared the day’s top honours with Travis Henry; both won three races.

Racing will resume at Flamboro Downs on Wednesday, Dec. 28 at 6:35 p.m. EST.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink