Hastings, MI – On a warm and sunny Wednesday (Sept. 17), newcomer to Northville Downs at Barry Expo Center, Red Righthand Man N (Art Major-Let’s Go Cullen) demolished the all-time track record of 1:56, set by Bet Mine on Sept. 3, by a full second in the co-featured $11,000 Open Pace.
After a wild start to the race with a multitude of leavers, Born Wild, with driver David Lake in tow, grabbed command and put up the first three fractions of the race in :28.1, :57.3, 1:26.3, while Red Righthand Man N settled into the pocket position. But as they came into the stretch, driver Kody Massey pulled the right line and sent Red Righthand Man N past the early leader to win going away by a length and a half in a final clocking of 1:55, which established a new all-time track record and also a new record for an older pacing gelding. Red Righthand Man N shipped in from Pocono Downs for owner Oldford Racing LLC and trainer Allen Sisco and recorded his 14th career win.
Earlier in the day, in the co-featured $11,000 Mares Open Pace, 4-year-old pacing mare Rock Ur Wings (Racing Hill-Momma Rock) circled the field from the back to sweep to victory in the lane with driver Ty Goodell by three-quarters of a length over runner-up Pair of Hardts and driver Charles Taylor in a track-record time for 4-year-old mare pacers of 1:56.2.
In race six, former Michigan Stakes champion Two Birds Onestone (Black Daniels-She B Jeebeez) went coast-to-coast with driver Jennifer Main to win by 8-1/2 lengths in 1:56.3. This time equaled the previous track record for older gelding pacers set by Catch Me Conrad on Aug. 27 but was then surpassed by Red Righthand Man N’s record-setting performance in race seven.
Finally, in the ninth race, the other co-featured $11,000 Open, but this time for trotters, was won by Rankin (Enterprise-Luvyaformiles) and driver Kody Massey who came from off the pace to win by a half-length over a hard-charging Kings Sweetheart (David Lake) in 1:59.1. This winning time established the track record for a 4-year-old trotting gelding, which Rankin had set previously on Sept. 2.
Drivers Ty Goodell and Kody Massey led all drivers on the day with two driving wins.
Racing resumes Tuesday (Sept. 23) and Wednesday (Sept. 24) with a first race post time of 1 p.m. (EDT) each day.