Veyron wins the hard way

Veyron remained undefeated this season with a first-over harness racing win against Preferred 2 foes on Monday, Mar. 1 at The Raceway at Western Fair.

The eight-year-old gelding left from post five at the behest of driver Scott Coulter, but the outside position forced him to take back to third into the first turn. Zack To The Max led through the first quarter in 29 and half in 59.3. Veyron geared up coming into the stretch for the first time and engaged in a first-over battle with the leader throughout the second half. He put a full length in front of Zack To The Max, but the latter battled back on the inside and took the lead back as the field passed three-quarters in 1:28.3.

Veyron wouldn’t be put away so easily, and he made a final panel reroll, coming level with Zack To The Max again as they turned for home. Power and Grace, the 1/2 favourite sprung off Veyron’s cover in the stretch, but she would flatten out and finish third. Veyron finally put away Zack To The Max in the final eighth and won by a length.

Veyron’s impressive win was his second victory in The Raceway’s Preferred-2 class from two on the year for trainer Paul Cameron. Tjs Stable owns the son of Muscles Yankee that has now won 16 races from 95 lifetime starts and earned more than $190,000. He paid $5.40 to win.

Outlawgrabbingears scored the second co-feature in clinical fashion, with driver Paul Davies guiding him to a pocket trip victory on seasonal debut.

Davies sent his mount quickly off the car, but Racemup and Marc St. Louis drove on to put Outlawgrabbingears in the pocket. The order remained the same through 28.1 and 59 fractions, with Homey Joe and J J Powerball activating from the backfield at the halfway point.

Those two would have a minimal effect on the race as the leaders accelerated hitting three-quarters in 1:28.3 and dispatched the outside flow. Outlawgrabbingears swung out of the pocket in the stretch and passed Racemup under a strong drive from Davies to win by three quarters of a length. Racemup finished second and Easton Beach rode the three-hole to a show spot.

Davies co-owns and trains the five-year-old gelding by Smart Shark with Nicole Davies of Arthur and Deborah Pinel of Calgary. That win was Outlawgrabbingears’ second straight win, but his first of 2021. He’s won 23 races from 50 lifetime starts and earned more than $300,000 lifetime. He paid $3.90 on this occasion.

The Raceway’s Mar. 1 card was its first since Wednesday, Feb. 24, after it had to cancel its Friday, Feb. 26 race date. The London, Ontario track is scheduled to be back in action on Tuesday, Mar. 2.