MACHINE PURRS
C Lec Machine appears to be running on all cylinders again.
After a tough year that had seen him slip to four seconds
and two thirds in 13 starts, Machine has fashioned
back-to-back sharp performances.
Two weeks ago, he rallied from seventh at the half to take
second to Red Star Admiral in the open with a clocking of
1:54.2.
Last Friday he went one better. The six-year-old son of
CLechthor out of Alive And Well, equaled his lifetime best
of 1:53.3 in winning the open over a field of seven.
Nuclear Dew raced to the front with Haras Colta Colta in
close pursuit (but on the outside). Cola soon tired and Dew
and Machine then staged a duel the rest of the way.
Machine pulled away for a 2 1/4-length margin of victory
while Dew held on for second and Make Some Noise, the only
mare in the field, was third.
"We got a great two-hole trip," winning driver Gord Abbott
said after the race. "He (Machine) don’t like to quit."
Machine is bred, owned and trained by Ed Lechner. He now has
13 lifetime wins with earnings of more than $16,000 this
year and more than $80,000 lifetime.
DAVIS, BROWN LEAD WAY, LEAVE: Bill Davis and Tim Brown made
their swan song weekends sweet as they led the driver
standings last weekend at the Downs.
Davis, thanks to four wins Sunday, and Brown, with three
wins Saturday, each had five victories on the weekend.
They hold first and third spot respectively in the driver
results for the meet but their figures will no longer climb.
Davis has left for Edmonton to compete at Northlands Park
and Brown has departed for Sacramento and action at Cal-Ex.
Scott Knight, Jim Burke and Daniel St Amand each had three
wins while Jim Marino had two.
Four conditioners - Davis, Alan Anderson, Wendell Smith and
Wayne Isbister -- tied for top trainer honors with two
triumphs apiece.
Jackie Scheepbouwer got her first training win of 2005 with
Bill Of Expence and Tim Mosterd did the same with You Are My
Heaven.
YEA BILL! In a day with eight lifetime marks set (four in
the Stakes events), the show stealer last Saturday was a guy
getting his maiden victory.
Bill Of Expence, owned by Ann and Jackie Scheepbouwer,
trained by Jackie and bred by Ann, waited to start No. 48
before powering to victory. Piloted by Bill Davis, the
four-year-old son of Dal Reo Hop Sing out of Nuclear Freedom
raced to victory in 2:00.4.
Bill now has the win to go along with four seconds and four
thirds in 16 starts this year.
The new marks (other than the Stakes) went to
Gottogivetoreceive (2:00.4), Big Z Rudi (1:57.4), Red Star
Areba (1:57.2) and Raggidy Andy (1:58).
BACK SANDOWN: The formal redevelopment presentation for
Sandown Park will be now be made Monday, June 13 in North
Saanich Council chambers.
The meeting will get under way at 7 p.m. and all supporters
of harness racing and the development of Sandown are
strongly urged to attend. Anyone interested is asked to call
Jackie Ballas at 250-656-1631.
RUSTLE HUSTLES: Rustle For It, who won the Miss Valentine
stakes at Fraser Downs in February, registered an impressive
win last Friday at Woodbine in Ontario.
The daughter of Rustler Hanover won a fillies and mares
event for a purse of $15,000 for owner Niele Jiwan of
Burnaby. Rustle For It, a 2-1 favorite, went gate to wire
from the rail to win in a blazing 1:52.3.
Meanwhile, Rich Cam, another former Downs competitor, came
up with a good performance but fell short last Saturday at
Woodbine.
Rich Cam raced to the front from the nine hole in the
claiming handicap $50,000 to $58,000 for a purse of $28,000.
He still led by 1 ˝ lengths at the three-quarter but the
54.1-second half took its toll and he tied for fourth, five
lengths back.
The race was won in 1:50.3 by 50-1 long-shot Candys Pool,
who is trained by Casie Coleman.
Meanwhile at Northlands Park, former Downs’ competitor Duke
Is Duke was victorious in an optional claiming event for
$50,000 last Saturday. Trained and driven by Scott Cisco,
Duke went the mile in 1:54.3 in winning by two lengths over
the favored Tajma Hall.
Armbro Blacktie and The Bruster, both former Downs
participants, were fourth and eighth respectively.
In the winners-over event on the same card, Infinite Dreams,
driven and trained by Dave Hudon and Armbro Bolton, who had
Larry Micallef handling double duties, were fourth and fifth
behind winner Dudes Leaving Town. The time for the mile was
1:54.4.
