Rideau Carleton Sunday, December 15, 2024

BEST BET – (4) PERSISTANT BOY – R8

SPOT PLAY – (6) RJS SUPER FREAK – R4

Pick 5 (R5-9): 7,5 / 4,2,6,5 / 2,5,6,1 / 4 / 5,6,4,3 = $25.60

Early Pick 4 (R2-5): 4,5,2 / 2,7,5 / 6,2,5 / 7,5 = $10.80

Middle Pick 4 (R4-7): 6,2 / 7,5 / 4,2,6,5 / 2,5,6,1 = $12.80

Late Pick 4 (R6-9): 4,2,6,5 / 2,5,6,1 / 4 / 5,6,4,3 = $12.80

Last Pick 4 (R8-11): 4,6 / 5,6,4,3 / 4,6 / 8,1,6 = $9.60

(20-cent combinations)

Race 1:

(4) SUNDANCE LEYO took back to single-file fifth off the gate Dec. 1; tipped first-over on second turn; flushed out BABYLOU approaching three-quarters; three-wide around stalling cover on last turn; closed wide; ran out of racetrack; mild class relief in fourth free-legged start. (1) SHADOW DAVE pocketed up behind D A Captainobvious Dec. 1; gapping third on final turn, inside of first-over Hellas Rocket; mile late bid for place; field’s-co-fastest (29 flat) last quarter. (5) BABYLOU waited in third along the pylons as Haka Timatanga and Century Jazz dueled to opening quarter Dec. 1; first-up near three-quarters to challenge leader Century Jazz around final turn; began losing ground before stretch; class relief. (2) WOODMERE ARMOUR followed D A Captainobvious from single-file fourth Dec. 1; lost ground late; second consecutive start for Pascal Berube; he and SHADOW DAVE have greater class drop than others this race. 

Race 2:

Class-dropping (4) HAKA TIMATANGA sprinted to early lead from Rideau rail Dec. 1 for the returning Pascal Berube; circled before quarter by front-end winning 6/5 fave Century Jazz; sat pocket, getting covered up by advancing Babylou and Sundance Leyo approaching three-quarters; passing lane bid just missed; second at odds of 25/1. (5) MUKTUK ANNIE broke maiden from same post on front end, Oct. 27 for Ryan Guy; Guy Gagnon retains catch drive after setting pace here Nov. 28 from rail; gave cold shoulder to three-wide DESTINY ROAD on first turn; under pressure by first-over TIA enroute to quarter; second move to reclaim lead in front of grandstand; overtaken by first-over winner Chef past three-quarters; beaten 1/5 fave. (2) C B CAPER got away fourth behind MUKTUK ANNIE Nov. 28; third along pylons as DESTINY ROAD backpedaled on first turn; boxed in/shuffled back past the half; shook loose on final turn; tipped second-over at top of the stretch; flying late for place; up in class. (1) DESTINY ROAD was caught wide early Nov. 28; caught in, behind CB CAPER on backstretch; won Rideau qualifier from rail Nov. 10. 

Race 3:

(2) LA BARBE set pace Dec. 1 for Stephane Pouliot, now driving his own CENTURY JAZZ; under steady pressure by first-over NO FOOL MACKINLEY along backstretch and final turn; led to top of stretch; swarmed late; debut for Jimmy Gagnon. Beaten 1/9 fave (7) D A MAGIC MIKE was taken back to fifth early Dec. 1 by the returning Guy Gagnon; went first-over approaching second turn; flushed out NO FOOL MACKINLEY; three-wide for stretch drive; outsprinted by wide-closing winner Arizona Jackson. (5) D A SPEED EXPERT looks like Robert Shepherd's possible choice over NO FOOL MACKINLEY; first start since his Nov. 23 Mohawk win for Trevor Henry; tough on front end; up in class. (6) SEAURAT HANOVER retains Pascal Berube; broken headpole before start here Dec. 1; caught in near back of field at half; began closing into traffic on last turn; followed path of place finisher D A MAGIC MIKE in stretch; full pari-mutuel refund.

Race 4:

Strong closer (6) RJS SUPER FREAK won on Dec. 1 class jump from same post for Marie-Claude Auger; third-over from sixth near second turn; three-wide move at three-quarters; easily swept past pacesetting G A SPEED JOEY in stretch; up in class again, but still untested here. (2) ACAPULCO SUNBURN was hard-used early Sunday, parked by winner Perpetual Rock on the first turn while three-wide Stonebridge Hermes attempted to make front; cleared before co-fastest (26.4) opening quarter of the card; overtaken by Stonebridge Hermes enroute to second turn; caught in pocket as SHOTGUN JERRY was parked first-over on backstretch; loose on final turn; outsprinted in stretch by Perpetual Rock; could not catch Stonebridge Hermes; significant class relief. (5) SKYLAR and Jimmy Gagnon settled in pocket behind leader Stonebridge Hermes on first turn Dec. 1; boxed in on backstretch as Persistant Boy came first-over past half; gaining ground down the stretch over "good" surface with 2-second variant; finished second to fastest (28.1) closer of the card, pacing the card's second-fastest (28.2) last quarter; 7 of 10 winners raced on/near front end that night. (1) ARIZONA JACKSON and Jason Gilchrist backed down Sunday; started up third-over from seventh in front of grandstand; three-wide move on backstretch, to get around stalling cover of Cyclone Joe; closed widest of all down the stretch, in field's-second-quickest (29.4) last quarter; beaten 8/5 fave; up in class.

Race 5:

(7) MILITARY MAN finds class relief in third start for Robert Shepherd; got away second-last Sunday; caught inside of fourth-over Manhattan Joe on second turn; stepped out from near-last to follow his three-wide cover on final turn; edged out (sixth) in near-blanket finish; latest win was on front end from Flamboro rail Oct. 16. Class-dropping (5) STAY PUMPED retains Marie-Claude Auger; made Rideau debut Sunday against tougher mares; got away fourth along pylons; covered up/shuffled to last on backstretch; stepped out third-over from last on final turn; lost ground late; second start since July 10. (4) GOING YARD cut opening quarter Sunday, before getting circled by first-over Uber Hanover in front of grandstand; sat pocket to three-quarters; buried along pylons on final turn behind slowing leader; gaining ground late up passing lane. (3) STATE NEWS and Antonio Vecchio were shuffled to the back of the field early Sunday; third-over from second-last at the half, gapping cover; flying from far back late; closed wide in field's-fastest 30 flat for fourth. (2) THATMOMENTINLIFE moves to front tier in her second-ever Rideau start; first race since Nov. 14; front-end-loving mare wired Dec. 6, 2023 at Batavia Downs; class relief; 24th pari-mutuel drive by Ariane Girard; completes Hi-5.

Race 6:

(4) THE COLT has four previous wins for Jimmy Gagnon; third to MAKE IT COME TRUE here in their latest start together, Dec. 1; followed that narrow front-end winner from single-file third; caught in by first-over Mach Art In Motion from second turn onto backstretch; loose late; ran out of racetrack; closed in field's-co-fastest 29 flat. (2) THATLL BE TIGER draws inside for the first time since his blowout Nov. 24 Rideau qualifier; caught four-wide on opening turn Sunday; attempted to cross over before quarter, getting stretched out beyond that point by early leader Rockinmydream; cleared to lead in front of grandstand, only to get circled by Sunny Bo; caught in pocket on second turn/along backstretch as Sunny Bo parked first-over challenger Midnight Mood; passing lane bid fell short; debut for Robert Shepherd. (6) PARTYINTHESHADOWS got away second-last off the gate Sunday; started up first-over on second turn; flushed out 3/5 favourite Woodmere Gaelic near the half; swung three-wide on final turn; edged out in tight battle for show; up in class. (5) MAKE IT COME TRUE wired from same post Dec. 1; needed wire, but held off fast-closing G A Speed Gaby and THE COLT; up in class.

Race 7:

(2) HATIKVAH and Marie-Claude Auger pocketed up early behind Tymal Loverboy Sunday; stepped out first-over from fourth at the half; hunted down Bandura along backstretch; cleared on final turn; held on for victory when STOMPER TOM jumped it off in stretch; up in class. Beaten 3/5 fave (5) CIEL BLEU's win streak ended Sunday; retreated to fifth off the gate; second-over move to follow first-up Crossfit into second turn; overland trip behind stalling cover; went three-wide at three-quarters, too late to catch front-end winner Donatover; closed in field's-fastest 29.2. (6) SWAN DIEGO gets steep class relief; a 21/1 winner from off the pace at Mohawk last Nov. 13 for previous connections; crushed on front end at ⅝-mile Miami Valley Jan 10, 2023 on class drop; qualified against four pacers here Dec. 1, finishing fourth to The Light Speed; breaks leaving in Nov. 24 Rideau qualifier and latest Mohawk start Sept. 9. Beaten 4/5 fave (1) STOMPER TOM returns to front tier; single-file fifth on first turn, following HATIKVAH; chased his cover second-over along backstretch; first-over at top of stretch, he broke and lost all chance; up in class.

Race 8:

(4) PERSISTANT BOY gets significant class relief; got away second-last off the gate Sunday for William Roy; gapping to quarter; shuffled to last by half; fourth-over along backstretch; flew home wide down stretch for fifth; field's and card's-second-quickest (28.1) closing quarter, in race won by card's fastest closer (28 flat) Perpetual Rock. (6) DAY DELIGHT reluctantly backed down to sixth early Sunday; waited out several leadership changes; picked up cover behind first-up Shotgun Jerry approaching second turn; tipped three-wide at three-quarters around tiring Shotgun Jerry; tired late after game effort; field's-slowest (29.2) last quarter. (2) HURRIKANE CHEYENNE steps up in class after Sunday's off-the-pace victory for Pascal Berube; third-over from back of field approaching three-quarters; four-wide for the stretch drive; field's-fastest (29.1) closing quarter; first 2024 win; post relief. (5) CARSON STAR CHOICE remains winless since Oct. 8; parked to 27.1 opening quarter Dec. 1 by a stubborn G A Speed Joey; pocketed up; boxed in third along backstretch; still covered up by first-over No Time At All on final turn; mild passing lane bit fell short; no match for hard-charging RJs Super Freak; every chance late; up in class.

Race 9:

(5) LA COEUR CHAPEAU won at Mohawk Dec. 5 in multi-move race for Jody Jamieson; back in line to Robert Shepherd after confidence-building breakthrough victory; late speed. (6) LYONS SHINING left from same post to sit single-file third behind leader RONDA DU LAC and pocket-sitting BEACH JOURNEY at opening quarter Sunday; buried fifth along pylons on backstretch as first-over ONTHEROADTOTEXAS came calling; caught behind breaker BEACH JOURNEY in stretch. Winning 1/2 fave (4) RONDA DU LAC made front with little resistance Sunday; stepped out from second on first turn to overtake BEACH JOURNEY; subsequently wired in fourth straight win for Pascal Berube. (3) ONTHEROADTOTEXAS emerged first-over from fifth along backstretch Sunday; gained ground rapidly; matched strides with RONDA DU LAC around last turn; best of the rest.

Race 10:

(4) ALWAYSYOURWAY was caught first-over between leader Perfect Mia and three-wide DAKOTA SENA enroute to opening quarter Sunday; made front broefly, only to get circled by DAKOTA SENA past the quarter; locked in pocket inside of first-over Getyourlicenseliam from quarter until that parked-out rival began retreat at three-quarters; loose late up passing lane; outsprinted by Manhattan Joe. Post/class relief for (6) GIDDY UP MAX; overland trip for place Sunday behind SUNNY BO, who draws poorly for the rematch. Beaten 3/2 fave (3) SUNSHINE LOVE and Mike Healey came three-wide at three-quarters Sunday, after spending overland trip second-over behind parked-out Getyourlicenseliam; returns to front tier. (1) DAKOTA SENA was hard-used early Sunday; led much of mile under pressure from Getyourlicenseliam; overtaken late; adds Melanie Plourde as Stephane Pouliot drives stablemate SUNNY BO.

Race 11:

(8) HEY RUN ME OVER looks like Pascal Berube's choice over GA SPEED GABY; Rideau Carleton debut in first start for trainer Michel Legace; parked Nov. 25 at Dover Downs; got away second-last; started up fourth-over on second turn; stepped out three-wide on last turn; caught inside slowing rival down the stretch; class relief. (1) GA SPEED GABY steps up in class after Dec. 1 pocket ride behind front-end winner Make It Come True; his most ecent, front-end win was for Pascal Berube Nov. 3 at Hippodrome 3R. (6) BEEF N CHEDDAR is winningest of this field in 2024; post relief; parked second-over on first turn behind Mach Art In Motion Dec. 1; second-over fourth along backstretch; lost ground at top of stretch; closed wide for fifth despite tiring trip. Beaten 3/5 fave (2) WOODMERE GAELIC retains Guy Gagnon; gapping fourth early behind breakaway front-end winner Eataams Sportsbaby; first-over from fourth at the half; gained ground along backstretch; outsprinted in stretch; up in class. (5) RITCHIE ALPHA makes first start since Nov. 28; class relief; caught in badly; sixth last summer in only two previous starts for Jimmy Gagnon, against tougher; completes Hi-5.