from Standardbred Canada

Mississauga, ON — A wild battle took place on the front end in Sunday’s second trial for this year’s Sobey’s Gold Cup & Saucer, and that had driver Gilles Barrieau grinning from ear-to-ear as he sat patiently behind the battlers with heavily favored Hillbilly Hanover.

Clic K parked Proven Lover to the quarter pole in :26.2, and they continued to wage war to the half in :54.2. Hillbilly Hanover, who was planted on Proven Lover’s cover, powered to the lead in the backstretch and took the field to the three-quarter pole in 1:24.2 The Ron Burke pupil used a :27.2 closing panel to win by 10-1/2 lengths over Smokin Bear, with Proven Lover holding on gamely to finish third in the $9,700 affair.

“I swung out of there, but there was too much action gong on up front so I just opted to take a seat and let them go at it,” said driver Gilles Barrieau. “I swung wide up the backstretch and he just showed his class. The trip was there, but there’s no end to this horse. The farther he went the faster he went.”

The 4-year-old son of Dragon Again-Hattie, who races for Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Frank Baldachino and Larry Karr, improved this year’s record to 4-1-2 from 11 starts with the win. The 11-time winner bumped his lifetime bankroll to $510,788 with the win.

Escape The News wins first Gold Cup & Saucer trial

Escape The News wore down the pacesetting Up The Credit in the stretch to win the first $9,700 Gold Cup & Saucer Trial on Saturday night at Charlottetown Driving Park.

With insider State Treasurer (Kenny Arsenault) breaking stride into the first turn, Mach It Big (Brad Forward) established the early lead with Up The Credit (Carl Jamieson) rolling up to take over command during the opening quarter in :27.1.

Charlottetown’s leading driver Marc Campbell elected to send Escape The News first over and applied pressure to the leader through middle splits of :56.2 and 1:24.2 before gaining the upper hand in front of the grandstand.

Escape The News prevailed by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:52.2 over Up The Credit while R Caan (Gilles Barrieau) earned the third spot in this week’s final.

“Kenny’s horse made a break (in the first turn) and he couldn’t get him in out of the way and I just kind of stayed out of trouble and waited for the right time to move,” said Campbell after the race. “I kind of thought going to the quarter I’d have to be first up so I just eased him out. The closer he got to the leader the more he grabbed on and the faster he went.”

The 4-year-old Artiscape gelding is owned by North America’s leading trainer Ron Burke (as Ron Burke Racing) along with partners Weaver Bruscemi LLC, JJK Stables LLC, and Howard Taylor.