Best Bet – (5) CAPTEUR DE REVE - Race 10
Spot Play – (9) PRINT MEDIA – Race 9
20-cent Pick 5 – Race 5 – 2,3,5,7/1,4,6/2,5/6,7/9 = $9.60
20-cent Early Pick 4 – Race 2 – 4/2,5,6/1,2,3/2,3,5,7 = $7.20
20-cent Middle Pick 4 – Race 4 – 1,2,3/2,3,7/1,4,6/2,5,9 = $16.20
20-cent Late Pick 4 – Race 7 – 2,5,9/6,7,8/6,9/5 = $3.60
Race 1 — (3) PACK YOUR BAGS made Rideau debut for Mandy Archer Thursday, sprinting home in field's co-second-fastest 28.3 for show; forced to back down from outside in three-wide early battle, he sat single-file third until launching a first-up attack on leader Rollin With Rock near the three-quarters; two moves that race, plus tonight's catch driver Guy Gagnon, put him over the top on class drop. (1) STAGE TERROR is also down in class after a game effort for show in strong distaff company; gradually backpedalled to fifth along pylons on first turn, she tipped from fourth at top of the stretch to follow parked-out 1/5 fave Steelmeatreasure; her four-wide closing move put her just a neck behind the top pair and still gaining. (6) GODIVA WATCH ME seemingly made a speed break when right-lined out of fourth last Sunday; Richard Simard stays loyal to recent maiden-breaking winner who clearly doesn't mind drawing outside.
Race 2 — (4) THUNDERING JIM appears too good at $8K claiming level, especially from post where it's hard to envision he won't make front with typical ease for Guy Gagnon; current four-race win streak looks likely to add one more; paced fastest (28.2) closing quarter last Sunday, gaining extra separation over (6) DARKEST SECRET, who was clearly second best; a two-time 2020 Rideau winner at lower conditioned classifications for former connections; two starts ago, he shadowed Thundering Jim from pocket early, only to get covered up and show little interest in stretch drive; much better with identical tactics last week. (2) MISTER GODRO's six 2021 victories were prior to his October 17 claim; a front-end winner on most recent class drop, when he drew rail and left pocket for lead by the 27.2 opening quarter; despite tonight's class/post relief, it's hard to envision a trip where he puts away a formful Thundering Jim.
Race 3 — (5) MACHO POLO's improving results suggest the former $15K claimer could be on brink of victory on class drop into conditioned company; came home from last in co-fastest 28.4 last Sunday, chasing off-the-pace winner Print Media from second over at the three-quarters; big three-wide move into the collapsing pace of Dylans Bank. (2) LEVIS DAY is back at similar level to his most recent victories; debut for Pascal Berube, who won with just one Vic Puddy trainee on last two Rideau cards; the three non-winners were sent off at even money or lower odds. All but one of (6) HES GOT A VENDETTA's nine wins this year have all been from #4 hole or inside, mostly in $15K claiming company; loose pocket behind front-end winner Ashleysbest all the way last Sunday; late speed.
Race 4 — (3) SALTY ROBYN N was over his head in Preferred; drops to level a little above his latest victory, from helpful post; Bernard Lavigne drives lone horse in this field with recent gate-to-wire Ottawa victory; takes on a group with abundant late speed and few, if any, current wins. (1) TWIN B LAKER is so light on wins he's impossible to single on top, in spite of consistently outperforming his odds; excellent performance in last drive by Marie-Claude Auger, who seems to have picked him over #7 Dreamfair Tecate here. (2) ROCK N ZEUS made front at opening quarter in his last race, at Mohawk; vulnerable late despite multi-length lead at top of the stretch; debut for Macy Cassell/Samuel Fillion after recent claim.
Race 5 — (7) SOS JUSTIFIED doesn't care about post position: he romped from #7 hole in $7K claiming company here last November 26 at 5/1; six of his 2021 victories came in this track's $8K-$10K claimers; his seasonal record puts him in dead heat for third among all North American pacers by wins this year; seemingly Samuel Fillion's pick over #1 Genesee. Beaten 8/5 fave (3) FCEE N drops to lower claiming level; claimed back by Guy Gagnon August 22, he became a four-time winner at $12K claiming tag before moving up to classification where he's remained winless in three tries from rail; his sixth-place result was individually clocked in 1:56.1, 2/5 of a second faster than SOS Justified's narrow victory. (2) ITS EDS IDEA's most recent win was for previous connections at Rideau $10K claiming level September 12; he stalked and surprised pacesetter Dreamfair Tecate (and the betting public) at odds of 9/2; winless in three tries for Mandy Archer since claim, last week's ground-saving trip still fell short of SOS Justified's well-earned overland victory ... Speaking of which, pacesetting (5) BANKROLL couldn't sustain his front-end advantage when (4) EMPTYTHETILL came calling first over last Sunday; Pascal Berube's beaten even-money fave fell prey to SOS Justified's field's-co-second-fastest (29.2) closing move.
Race 6 — (6) SPORTS BLISS has one seasonal victory, from Kawartha Downs' post 5 back in August; a 21/1 going-away winner that day, he found less success in subsequent starts at various half-mile venues; forced back inside at the half by a first-up Fern Hill Flight last Sunday, he never got into outer flow; mild late bid, well behind long-gone winner Montysgonemarble on a night when front-end pacers reigned in 7 of 11 races. (1) HARDY MILL JOE took the passing lane straight to his first Ontario win Thursday; Mike Armstrong is still in pursuit of his breakthrough 2021 driving victory; teaming up for Coville Cup might change that, but Bernard Lavigne has stronger driving stats, to date. (4) TIME TO DANCING rolled off stride and ended up DQ’d with Guy Gagnon aboard two starts ago; last start, he followed even-money co-fave Getyourlicenseliam from pocket, only to gap despite urging on final turn; Daniel St. Pierre has enjoyed some success driving his own mare, the erratic Arrhythmogenic; perhaps he can work around recent Hippodrome 3R arrival's quirks.
Race 7 — (2) KOLOY DM beat this track's best pacing mares three starts ago, then landed #8-hole handicap on subsequent class jump; Thursday, she spotted the starting gate a couple of lengths; launched tepid third-over move from last at the half, going nowhere; her three latest Rideau wins have been in distaff competition, but she remains this field's winningest, third-fastest winner, and second-richest performer of 2021; Mike Healey wired with Notaword N in latest Coville Cup drive. (5) LUNAR LAUNCH was a judges' scratch (transportation) due to a flat tire Thursday; he had closed strongly up passing lane in last Sunday's Coville Cup leg; spent much of mile boxed in; Coville Cup catch driver Darcy Clancy is second only to Joshua Miller among this leg's drivers, by current UDRS. (9) SASKABUSH STEVE starts from second tier for Jimmy Gagnon, who stunned with 21/1 winner Platine Alpha last week; "Steve" had no shot when boxed in sixth until late in last Sunday's mile.
Race 8 — (7) THE LIGHT SPEED held off National Debt by a nose the last time Guy Gagnon's gelding was assigned post 7; this beaten 3/5 fave advanced first over last start, clearing St Lads Thriller in the co-fastest (26.3) opening quarter of last Sunday's card; pressed by first-over National Debt, he only gave ground in stretch. (6) ST LADS THRILLER was surprisingly tough throughout last Preferred Handicap, in second start for Mandy Archer and first for Stephane Brosseau; first off the gate, he stayed with top pair throughout, briefly looming large in passing lane and only giving way in deep stretch as The Light Speed held his ground and (8) NATIONAL DEBT swept past; vulnerable from this post, his only post 8 win this year was March 21, when he came first over from fifth at the half, picking up cover of Vanilla Malted and easily overtaking pacesetter Oceanview Magnum after ridiculous fractions.
Race 9 — (9) PRINT MEDIA is undefeated for Jimmy Gagnon; second tier suits class-climbing gelding perfectly: he took his season's best mark here August 8 from trailing post; closed in field's-co-fastest 28.4 last Sunday, conspicuously good from off the pace on a particularly speed-favouring night (7 of the 11 winning pacers prevailed in front-end trips). (6) ASHLEYSBEST wired in his seasonal-best clocking last Sunday, from rail; combined class/post relief made the difference for stallion who was over his head in Preferred and doesn't love outside post positions. (2) OFFICER JONES gets class/post relief; won with stalking trip on February 16 class drop from Rideau Preferred; his only other 2021 victory was first-up overland effort for Guy Gagnon three starts ago; infrequent winner has nonetheless hit board in better than half his races this season.
Race 10 — (5) CAPTEUR DE REVE had his usual gate speed last Sunday, but found himself circled by Cheque The Magic before the opening quarter; rather than staying in pocket, he recaptured the lead and tired after extended challenge by first-over attacker (7) CROSSFIT, who was subsequently stung by Ripped And Ready in deep stretch; that nearly 2:1 ratio of place to win finishes this year is hard to ignore, particularly from tonight's post, from which he's gone winless and finished second twice in 2021. Last Sunday, (8) RIPPED AND READY finally won from winningest post for Rideau trotters, after falling short in previous try from same post/classification; in his only other start from this track's #8 hole this year (August 22), he battled Magic Night first over and was stung by the #5 horse... Capteur De Reve. (3) THE MAGIC OF LIFE stepped up to Preferred and closed in a field's-co-fastest 29-flat for fourth last Sunday; it was the third of four recent starts in which he trotted a faster non-winning mile than his lifetime-best mark; late speed. (4) GLOIRE DREAM was assigned tough post after October 31 breakthrough victory; in every other Rideau start this year, he's had post 5 or inside, and has missed just one cheque.
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Melissa Keith is a lifelong harness handicapper/bettor, Hervey/O'Brien Media Excellence Award-winning writer, and occasional racecaller. She is a contributor to TROT, Hoof Beats, Atlantic Post Calls, and Harness Racing Update, often covering topics related to wagering. Her most memorable bets include taking down the Truro Raceway Pick-7 pool for a $36 investment (it has not been offered since) and collecting $1,287 for a Woodbine Harness Pick-4, which cost $1.60.
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