by John Siscos, WEG communications

Toronto, ON — Bettor Sweet and driver John Campbell took the $500,000 Breeders Crown Open Pace final by a head on Saturday night (Oct. 29) at Woodbine Racetrack.

USTA/Mark Hall photo

Bettor Sweet and driver John Campbell just got up at the wire in the Open Pace.

In a 1:48.4 performance, the Thomas Cancelliere trainee notched his eighth victory of the year in 23 starts.

The 6-year-old bay gelding sat behind fractions of :25.4, :53.3 and 1:21.4, taking command just steps before the wire. Foiled Again (Dave Palone) finished second and the even money favorite, We Will See (Ron Pierce), was third.

The son of Bettor’s Delight-Sweet Future has a lifetime record of 22-15-11 in 73 starts and now boasts career earnings of C$2,216,907 for John Cancelliere.

Bettor Sweet paid $18.90 to win.

“I wanted to get off the gate and get into position,” said Campbell. “He doesn’t mind coming first up. He will race horses, he will race his heart out. Even though he was first up at the head of the stretch, he still felt strong and I knew he would be tough to beat.”

“We got him just at the end of his 3-year-old season (in 2008),” said Thomas Cancelliere. “He was a pretty good acquisition.

“We have had an on and off route with a few of the horses in here. They’re some great animals.

“He likes it that way. Just the way John drove him is the way he likes it. He’s really good, he’s something special.”