Best Bet – (3) – ARRYTHMOGENIC – Race 9
Spot Play – (4) – REYS N A ROCKET – Race 4
20-cent Early Pick 4 (race 3) – 2,3,6/3,4,6/3,7,8/3,7 = $10.80
20-cent Late Pick 4 (race 7) – 2,4,5/1/3/1,3,6 = $1.80
Race 1 – (3) MACHAPELO is logical top choice; the Sept. 6 beaten fave was boxed in fourth en route to the three-quarters in his Rideau Carleton Hard Rock Summer Series leg, with horses stacked three-wide ahead of him and to his immediate outside; passing lane move wasn’t enough to get him within reach of 1:53.4 winner Cheeky Cherry, but Richard Simard remains aboard this week as John MacMillan-owned/ trained gelding seeks to repeat his seasonal-best 1:54.3 Ottawa victory, one of three in 2020; note both other wins were at Kawartha Downs. (4) SALUTATION qualified with hobbles Sept. 5 at Hippodrome 3R, finishing second in a 1:59.3 mile; formerly free-legged mare has previously shown some closing ability at Vernon Downs; followed Darcee N from fourth on pylons August 30, keeping pace well before fading in second half; leaves Lasix program this race. (1) DRY CREEK IMAGE left from post #6 in Sept. 6 Hard Rock Summer Series leg, was quickly taken to back of pack, then tried third-over move from seventh approaching three-quarters; Chaleurs AD set hot pace with Mohegan Blue Chip behind him and ready for stretch drive, leaving little hope for anyone closing late into 1:53.2 mile; one of two John MacMillan-owned/trained entries, she lacks late speed, and lone seasonal victory was against mares only.
Race 2 – (1) P H IMPULSE gets new catch driver Pascal Berube, as Stephane Brosseau goes with Anne-Marie Turenne’s #6 Reddit Hanover this race; second week at Rideau Carleton Nw1r15000lcd classification for three-time 2020 winner; versatile 1:54.2 record gelding went three-wide early in unsuccessful attempt to make front Sept. 3, ending up parked to 27.3 opening quarter and hard-used by the time he claimed the lead at the half. (6) REDDIT HANOVER wired Rideau Op15000clm rivals August 13, on his way to a 1:54 flat personal best; four-year-old hasn’t missed board at same classification in last 3 races, and closed characteristically well for place (despite early interference) from same post August 30; apparent choice of Stephane Brosseau over #1 PH Impulse. (2) MONEY EARNED was a deserving 12/1 upset August 30, stalking Nw1r15000lcd rivals from third and taking control as pacesetter Keystone Nolan tired in the stretch; it was her seventh victory of the year, but a similar 1:56 effort won’t be enough to take down the top two here; she hasn’t approached her 1:53.2 Tioga record in the six starts since July 24.
Race 3 – (2) JOURNALISTIC has more sub-28-second closing quarters this summer than anyone else here; Mandy Archer-owned/trained three-year-old went gate to wire in 1:55 at Kawartha August 22, recording third victory in 16 tries; beaten 8/5 co-fave at Rideau Carleton Op15000clm level Sept. 3. (6) LARRY IS DEBS ROCK prefers to chase horses than to take the lead; this accounts for the confirmed closer’s five place finishes this season, most recently Sept. 3 at this venue, when he tried alternate tactics and could not hold off the late-charging Resounding; Richard Simard is back in the bike for first time since their shared July 30 place finish. (3) G A SPEED JOEY finished third as 3/5 beaten fave Sept. 3, without much of an excuse; he did not clear Larry Is Debs Rock when challenging that leader first over on their way to the three-quarters, and wasn’t involved in setting early fractions; he also lacked late step, which allowed Resounding to close for a massive 21/1 upset.
Race 4 – (4) REYS N A ROCKET never had a chance Sept. 3, covered up early in third along the pylons, unable to shake lose until the stretch, when she closed for a dh fourth, timed in 1:56.3; Stephane Brosseau had a visibly tight hold on the mare at the half; her single 2020 victory was a 1:54.4 stalking trip from post #9 at Rideau Carleton’s Nw400pscd level June 18; class jump and new catch driver Richard Simard for the nine-time 2019 winner. (6) MITT JAGGER missed by a nose to a class-dropping Shrimp N Grits Sept. 3, starting from the rail; five place results and three wins in 2020, the most current happening against $7000 claimers back on July 2 from inside post for previous connections; catch driver Jonathan Lachance takes the lines from Rodney Laframboise, who apparently chose #1 Zen Da Ballykeel. (3) SOS JUSTIFIED has 11 seasonal victories, but did not hit Rideau board at Op10000clm Sept. 6, when off-the-pace effort from post #8 did not pan out for Stephane Brosseau; this gelding has won half of his four tries from post position #3 at this venue this year; his most recent victory from post #3 was actually the result of a placing August 23.
Race 5 – (8) OFFICIALLY RUSTY has unfortunate draw this week, although his closing efforts from post #6 and #7 in August 27/Sept. 3 starts still make him a contender; he was fourth each race, facing Nw1250l3cd company with stronger resumes than this field; third start with Richard Simard, in most tough-to-figure race of the night. (3) THUNDERING JIM narrowly missed Sept. 6; he was taken back to third when leader Jans Legacy fended him off before the 26.4 opening quarter, then tried it again first-over to the three-quarters, but the mare was just too strong; the margin of victory was not the charted nose, but more like a neck; a beaten fave in both 2020 Rideau starts to date. (7) THE PLATINUM GUY finished fourth Sept. 3, when he arrived from Hippodrome 3R; second by a neck at Nw500pscd level (from post #8) over the Trois-Rivieres half-mile August 9; only 2020 victory was a fifth-to-first late surge at Rideau’s Nw400pscd Feb. 23, at 13/1 odds, and he won when dropping in from Quebec to Ottawa back on August 16, 2018
Race 6 – (7) BUMBLEBABYNME floored it to the front from post #7 at Rideau Carleton Filly & Mare Nw8000l classification Sept. 3, making front early, then coming back from third at the top of the stretch to grab place money (at 25/1 odds); that’s a two-move race for filly again saddled with low-percentage winning post. (3) PRETTY BLUE ANGEL exits OSS Grassroots at Mohawk for less challenging assignment; three-year-old is back with Ryan Guy, who steered her to a pair of Kawartha Downs victories back-to-back July 25 and August 1. (1) OHBABYWEFOUNDLOVE also drops in class, moving back to Rideau distaff Nw7600 company here; powerful closing effort from post #5 August 27 resulted in 1:58.1 place finish for driver Guy Gagnon; Tyler Jones is in the sulky tonight. (4) BETTIMONTHERIVER is a Jeff Lilley homebred taking another shot in Ottawa; was involved in Kawartha race declared “no contest” Sept. 5, so this is the Maritime stakes filly’s official 2020 Ontario debut, from a better post than she usually gets. (9) STAGE TERROR gets trailing post here; unambitious four-year-old closed for fourth Sept. 3 facing distaff Nw8000l company here; seems likely to continue tradition of collecting cheques for minor shares.
Race 7 – (2) JANS LEGACY has been in fantastic recent form, wiring Rideau Carleton Nw460pscd rivals in 1:54.3 Sept. 6; draws well again for class drop this week. (4) RUB OFTHE GREEN N is also down in class, a week after finishing a no-factor seventh from post #7 when overmatched in Rideau Nw860pscd; romped gate-to-wire in 1:54.4 August 27 for Pascal Berube, when starting from same post as tonight, at Nw400pscd level; note Berube is driving #5 Wildcat Sam this race, while Tyler Jones catch drives Luck of the Green N. (5) WILDCAT CAM overcame post #7, a brutal 27 opening quarter and broken equipment to wire Sept. 3 Nw600pscd field in 1:55.2; cautious optimism for Pascal Berube’s apparent choice, because that was his first win from five starts this year; Mandy Archer also owns/trains #8 The Roadies.
Race 8 – (1) ANGELS KID was much better from post #8 than his 22/1 odds would indicate; he left quickly, settled in third, and stayed steady-gaited as rivals broke stride around him; held on for show behind winner Vero Amore Bi and runner-up YS Suzanne, individually clocked in 2:00.1; Pascal Berube evidently opts to drive #3 Batting Stats this race, so the live drive goes to Tyler Jones. (7) SOUND TRACK quietly closed for place in pair of recent Rideau efforts, including when he left from post #6 August 27; three-year-old NYSS Excelsior winner is holding his own while others here have trouble staying flat. (5) ORLYS PRIDE set his 1:55.4 lifetime best here July 30, winning by ten-and-a-half lengths, then took a month off; consistently-fast four-year-old was a beaten-fave fourth in comeback race here August 27, fading in second half despite leaving from the rail at Nw2r30000lcd level.
Race 9 – (3) ARRHYTHMOGENIC gets class relief in pursuit of her third seasonal win; 5/8-mile favouring mare likes to lead and had no difficulty doing so, from gate to wire, in August 2 and 9 Rideau Carleton qualifiers; both efforts were also from post #3. (4) SHRIMP N GRITS was strong at this track’s Nw1250l3cd classification Sept. 3, gradually making gains on the outside, moving from seventh at the quarter to first when it counts for Stephane Pouliot; Tyler Jones catch drives tonight. (1) ITS EDS IDEA has hit board in 8 of 17 races this year; June 28 was his last trip with tonight’s driver Stephane Brosseau aboard: the pair finished third at Rideau 12000clm; back in the barn of Anne-Marie Turenne again, following string of lacklustre results at Kawartha.
Race 10 – (3) ROSE RUN VOLCANO battled Task Bar Hanover Sept. 3 at Rideau Carleton Nw7500lcd level, ending up a close second (head margin) in the 1:56.2 mile; three-year-old gelding is still a maiden, but was recently sold, so new connections Mandy Archer and Copley Stables could see that change that this race; Pascal Berube stays loyal for this start in a row. (1) CHEEKIE BABE is only two, but stepped up big time to win in 1:57 August 27 when facing mixed-sex 2yr-Nw7500 rivals in Rideau debut; that was third consecutive win for filly who has now made five pari-mutuel starts in her career; has already shown she can win from off the pace, or by setting it, as she did for her fourth consecutive win here Sept. 3; class climb tonight. (2) STONEY CURTIS has paced some fast miles, yet he is still looking for win #1 after 13 tries this year; post relief for three-time seasonal place finisher. (6) RAIN MAN BLUE CHIP closed in 29.4 Sept. 3, chasing winner Task Bar Hanover and next-best Rose Run Volcano (#3 here) to finish third; improving and could surprise with better result. (9) ARIELLE HANOVER is winless in 33 career starts, but has not missed board in previous three efforts at Rideau; up in class as she exits distaff company.
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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 a whopping $1.60.
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