Enavant surprises in $100,000 Potomac Pace

Winless since August 21, Enavant and harness racing driver Daniel Dube found renewed life on the front end and was able to bottom out the field in capturing the $100,000 Potomac Pace Invitational at Rosecroft Raceway Sunday evening with a lifetime best 1:48 performance.

The 11th race feature started off with This Is The Plan and driver Yannick Gingras shooting out from post seven and taking the early lead from race favorite Allywag Hanover (Todd McCarthy) with McCarthy moving Allywag Hanover right back to the front.

Then it was a fast moving Enavant and Dube coming on the outside to take command with the first quarter mile in :26.

Moving to the half mile marker, Dexter Dunn came first-over with Jack’s Legend N as Nandolo N (Jason Bartlett) following second-over as they past the half in :53.2. Enavant was comfortable on the lead past the three-quarters in 1:20.3 and as they straighten out for the home stretch, Enavant found another gear and pulled away to win with ease by two and one-half lengths in 1:48. Allywag Hanover held for second with Jack’s Legend N third.

It was the fifth win this season for Enavant. The five-year-old gelded son of Somebeachsomewhere is trained by Luc Blais for Determination of ,Montreal and Guy Corbeil of Mirabel, QC. Enavant paid $15.20 to win.

 “I make no plans,” he said. “I saw leaving I had to come first over so I took a shot. A good horse…they keep going. The last time he raced at the Meadowlands [in the Breeders Crown] he come back 25 at the end. He was flying home. We wanted to give him a shot tonight.”

Earlier in the evening the 1-5 favorite Covered Bridge, driven by Yannick Gingras and trained by Ron Burke, drew away from the 50-1 shot Sugartown down the stretch to win the $25,000 Henry Sacks Memorial Pace. Covered Bridge, a winner of 17 of 67 starts, covered the mile in 1:50. Rocktavius checked in third and Slick Tony fourth.

For full race results, click here.

by Steve Wolf, for Harnesslink