Not so Strait Tothe Point

Six-year-old Strait Tothe Point (Well Said) finally shed his winless status on Wednesday (Nov. 16) at Flamboro Downs, circling the field as he tasted harness racing success for the first time in his 54th career start.

The gelding trailed early after his second-tier start but quickly began advancing on the rim for driver/trainer Darcy Clancy prior to the quarter in :29.1. He moved up over the wet track and reeled in cover, catching the first-up Highway Vagabond (Travis Cullen) just before the half in 1:00.1.

Clancy fed Straight Tothe Point daylight as leader Mason Street (Austin Sorrie) began to put away Highway Vagabond at three-quarters in 1:30.4. Straight Tothe Point motored around the last turn, dispatching Mason Street at the top of the lane, and held off the closing Ezzzpzzz (Jason Ryan) in the dying stages to seal the victory in 2:01.4.

Ezzzpzzz moved from ninth at the half to second by a half-length at the wire. Walterjustwalter (Brett MacDonald) emerged from a three-way blanket finish for show. The winner returned $9.50.

STRAIT TOTHE POINT REPLAY

Strait Tothe Point had previously raced 53 times with no victories, earnings $20,739. He has never been favoured and has gone off at lower than 10/1 in 10 of his outings. Clancy co-owns the gelding with Walter Clancy of Napanee, Raymond Alport of Kingston, and Gary Smith of Glenburie.

Also on the card, two-year-old Palladium Hanover (Artspeak) maintained his perfection with a 12-and-a-quarter-length 1:58.3 score in the second race. He is now five-for-five since debuting on Oct. 8. Travis Cullen piloted the gelding, who shipped in from Charlottetown at the end of October, to the win. Jodie Cullen trains Palladium Hanover for Wayne MacRae of Fall River and Daniel Ross of Belfast.

The next card at Flamboro Downs is set for 6:35 p.m. EST on Thursday, Nov. 17.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink