Best Bet – (9) – REYS N A ROCKET – Race 4
Spot Play – (5) – THE PLATINUM GUY – Race 6
20-cent Early Pick 4 - Race 3 – 1,3,6/5,9/3/2,5,8 = $3.60
20-cent Late Pick 4 - Race 7 – 2,7/3,4,5/4/1,4,5,6 = $4.80
Race 1 – (4) MONEY EARNED was a front-end winner in every one of her 6 victories this year, yet she hasn’t tried to leave quickly and go gate-to-wire at Rideau Carleton for Stephane Lareau in their 2 August starts here; they did wire Georgian Downs distaff 15000clmcd company August 15 in a 1:55.3, four-open-length win; mare’s off-the-pace effort last week was hampered by extended overland trip (moving second-over behind tonight’s #1 Keystone Nolan) and broken equipment. (2) BRUTUS BAYAMA has, like this race’s top selection, paced in the 1:53-zone this year; unlike Money Earned, he hasn’t taken a fast record for a win, yet the 3-year-old has followed leaders to top-three results six times in nine seasonal starts; his lone seasonal win, June 10 at this track, was when sprung late from pocket by Guy Gagnon; show results in August 9 and 23 Quebec-bred stakes at Hippodrome 3R. (3) JOURNALISTIC closed impressively from post #8 here August 27, travelling from sixth to fourth in his own 28.4 last quarter for Guy Gagnon; Pascal Berube drives for first time since July 30, when the pair finished fifth.
Race 2 – (4) THE MAGIC OF LIFE was a top-choice Rideau Carleton winning selection August 27, drawing clear by more than four lengths at the wire in a first-over 1:58 flat effort; that was against a field where two rivals (Montanablackangel and Golden Dynamite, #1 and #6 this race) broke leaving and were never in contention; better with Lasix and he continues to race with the medication tonight; class-climbing hasn’t hurt 4-year-old with the only discernible late speed here. (3) FRIDO P V hasn’t missed board in 2020, most recently second by a neck after setting the pace in 1:57.2 Quebec-bred stake at Hippodrome 3R; simply too good in trio of multi-length victories at Rideau, the last August 20 in a lifetime-best-equalling 1:57 flat at Nw2r30000lcd level for trainer/driver Yves St. Jacques. (5) FIERCE MAGIC showed improvement when up in class August 20, his second consecutive race with Tyler Jones in the sulky; show-finisher appeared to be looking to flush cover on the way to three-quarters that race, committing to go first-over from fourth late in the race; he hasn’t raced since then; has only missed board once in eight seasonal starts.
Race 3 – (3) VERO AMORE BI drops in class again, following a fifth-place finish in Rideau Carleton Nw2750l3cd trot August 23; covered and shuffled last week, with a breaker directly in front of him on the way to the three-quarters, he still turned in typical hard-closing late move, trotting co-fastest (29.0) last quarter; light 2020 resume, with a single win in eight tries; his 1:56.3 win was July 9 at Rideau Nw1250l3cd classification from post #6. (6) Y S SUZANNE also moves down class ladder this race; Stephane Brosseau returns to sulky for first shared start since their show result here August 23; mare’s current best is a 1:57.3 victory at this track’s Nw1250l3cd level July 16, by over three open lengths; fifth twice in August from identical post position as tonight; her other 2020 victory was from rail in Preferred Handicap Feb. 23, picking up the pieces behind backpedalling pacesetters in 1:59.4. (1) TOUCHDOWN AS is making third start of the year, with trainer Anne-Marie Turenne in the bike; third in their August 23 qualifier here, this is the second start Lasix for gelding dropping from Nw2750l3cd classification; his 28.3 closing quarter August 30 suggests more potential than that back-of-the-pack result (eighth of nine starters, from post #7) would indicate.
Race 4 – (9) REYS N A ROCKET put in a powerful place effort behind winner Mach Messier (#5 this race) at Rideau Carleton’s Nw1250l3cd level August 27, despite post #8; the 50/1 shot came home in 28.4, tipping three-wide from fifth en route to the three-quarters and matching strides with that 1/9 leader at the top of the stretch; Stephane Brosseau remains aboard mare he gave a confident steer last week; her last, 1:54.4 win was from same trailing post as tonight, back on June 18, when she successfully stalked pacesetter Rose Run Slider. (5) MACH MESSIER is winningest 2020 pacer in this group, with five victories from 21 tries; most recent success stories were written from gate-to-wire with Guy Gagnon (August 27) and Pascal Berube (August 20) at the controls; Berube reunites with class-climber here. (4) SHRIMP N GRITS gets class and post relief here; his last, 1:55.1 win was at Rideau’s Nw250pscd level August 6 with Guy Gagnon driving; Stephane Pouliot catch drives, as Tyler Jones apparently chose #7 Barn One.
Race 5 – (3) ROSE RUN VOLCANO was recently sold, and now races for Copley Stables and trainer Mandy Archer; finished fourth behind the now-absent P H Impulse August 27, briefly threatening first-over before backing away; winless this year, he’s back in same post position and classification with Pascale Berube driving; he’s Berube’s apparent choice over #9 G A Speed Arthur. (4) TASK BAR HANOVER finished second to P H Impulse August 27, his fourth place finish in nine seasonal starts; tends to gain ground late, although winless; second drive by Richard Simard. (7) STONEY CURTIS was third-over in sixth on the way to the three-quarters last week, and had to tip three-wide on last turn to get around a tiring Rain Man Blue Chip (#2 this race); although seventh, he was still in eager pursuit of P H Impulse in the stretch, closing in 29.3; post hurts.
Race 6 – (5) THE PLATINUM GUY arrives from Hippodrome 3R; after #8 Uber Hanover, he’s got the most top-three results of this field in 2020; second by a neck at Nw500pscd level (from post #8) over the Trois-Rivieres half-mile August 9; interestingly, his only win of 2020 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; back class, but only for those who dare. (8) UBER HANOVER left Lasix and Vernon Downs to start fresh at Rideau Carleton last week; he was a going-away 1:57.1 winner in gate-to-wire qualifying romp August 30; yes, he drew the #8 hole, but there are few to his inside that seem likely to stand in his way. (2) MORTGAGE MY VILLA exits Op10000clm company for Nw400pscd race; he’s missed cheques in recent off-the-pace efforts, however he’s recorded recent place and show results racing on/near the front end when facing lower-level Rideau conditioned rivals August 2 and 6. (3) SHOW ME SOME MAGIC improved on class drop in previous races at this track’s Nw400pscd classification; followed leader for fourth in both cases, never really putting her late speed into play, although it showed up in her 28.1 closing quarter August 13; winless in 19 starts this year, she could use some urging out of passive tendencies, so adding catch driver Pascal Berube might get her back on the board. (9) THUNDERING JIM leaves Lasix and did not have to qualify prior to his Rideau debut for owner/trainer John MacMillan and driver Stephane Brosseau; although individually clocked in 1:54-zone miles through August, his Scioto Downs results don’t inspire much confidence, and nor does that scratch due to illness August 26.
Race 7 – (2) CAMMANDER RUFF makes 2020 debut on Lasix and at Rideau; has been competing at Hippodrome 3R with good record of two wins and three place results in 12 starts; the 3R season runs through Nov. 8, so the visit to Ottawa and subsequent class relief intrigue; Sept. 5, 2019, he wired 7000clmcd company in first Rideau start after exiting Mohawk. (7) SAULSBROOK PEACH disappointed here August 27; first up from fifth after a brisk 27.3 opening quarter, he was up to leader State of Play’s wheel by the 57.3 half, but was backing away by the three-quarters, ending up ninth; 11-year-old’s last victory was March 8 in Rideau “not listed” Preferred for former trainer/driver Guy Gagnon; two-time seasonal winner hasn’t returned to top form since July 19 claim, but class drop and driver change to .319 UDRS Stephane Brosseau could motivate. (6) PRINCE GIOVANNI was actually rewarded for a more passive trip in the same race where #7 Saulsbrook Peach gutted it out first over August 27; pocketed up behind (now-absent) leader State of Play and coasted home for place in personal 1:56 mile; winless in 2020, despite gaining ground late in recent starts and adding Lasix five races ago.
Race 8 – (3) BEYOND THE LENS self-destructed as 1/5 beaten fave at Rideau Carleton August 27; circled top pair of horses to take charge by the 28.4 opening quarter, opening up by 4 lengths, but then jumped it off by the three-quarters and never reset for driver Stephane Brosseau; higher speed comes with higher risk for hobbled trotter whose gait often seems on the brink of a gallop. (4) DREAMEX draws inside post this week; 4-year-old has finished second in all three career starts; closed gamely in 30.4 last race in pursuit of Raising Rusty (#5 this race), despite leaving from post #8, from which only three Rideau trotters have won this year. (5) RAISING RUSTY has back-to-back victories, but he inherited the lead on the last turn only when tonight’s #3 Beyond the Lens went offstride August 27; Stephane Pouliot bided time August 20, as Dreamex (#4 this race), Warrawee Vulcan and Aim High Hanover (#2 tonight) mixed it up on front end on the way to 28.2 first quarter; flying late four-wide as he powered past tired rivals in 2:00 flat maiden win.
Race 9 – (4) G A SPEED JOEY closed strongly in 2 starts leading up to his 1:54.4 August 27 Rideau Carleton victory; wired Nw1r15000lcd pacers from post #7 in setting a new personal best; 28.3 final quarter and two-and-three-quarter-length winning margin suggests he had more in reserve then, and likely now. (2) LARRY IS DEBS ROCK chased #4 G A Speed Joey to the wire August 27, finishing second with an identical 28.3 last quarter clocking; it was one week after he turned the tables on that rival in a lifetime-best 1:54.4 win from atypical pocket trip here August 20; more than half of all Rideau winners are on the lead by the three-quarters, so this deep-closing specialist gets second billing. (3) P H IMPULSE is on a form spree that would make him top choice, were he not up in class and facing the top pair this race; not outclassed, just needs to extend himself more than in his three 2020 victories at this venue; has bounced after each previous win, still finishing second both times.
Race 10 – (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 Carleton debut; that was third consecutive win for filly who has only made four pari-mutuel starts in her career; has already shown she can win from off the pace or by setting it. (5) ARIELLE HANOVER is one of the two 4-year-olds in the field; while winless in 33 career starts, she’s shown reasonable motivation and late pace for driver Richard Simard, who returns to the sulky tonight. (6) GRACE TOO closed hard to capture her Rideau debut August 13 for latest driver Ryan Guy, who’s back in the bike here; up in class last week, she still managed fourth-place result after that maiden 1:58.4 victory. (4) OHBABYWEFOUNDLOVE charged home three-wide from fifth in August 27 F-Nw7600l pace, getting up for place money behind winner Kiss It Better in personal 1:58.1 performance for catch driver Guy Gagnon; Pascal Berube drives the 3-year-old tonight, as she gets slight class relief for sixth lifetime start. (2) STAGE TERROR is a 4-year-old who’s finished fifth in previous two starts, with differences in classification and post position making no difference to the end result; nothing suggests anything better or worse this time around.
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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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