| Opening night at Northlands - Another rabbit scare (watch video) | | Print | |
| Written by Jonathan Huntington |
| Friday, 05 February 2010 18:10 |
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Rabbit darts across stretch drive, inches from causing accident... Stiletto Hall rolls to co-feature victory... and more. Opening night of the Northlands Park harness meet in Edmonton was almost marked by an accident in the stretch drive. A rabbit darted across the stretch - in front of three horses - in the sixth race on Friday. Quik Change Artist missed stepping - or stumbling - on the rabbit by inches. Thankfully all eight horses in the race stayed on their feet. "I spotted the rabbit 20 feet before the horses came to him," said Northlands Park track announcer Sugar Doyle. "At that time he was probably in the two-path and then went back to the (inside) rail. "And then, holy (cow) he came back out." Doyle actually worked the rabbit into his stretch call of the race. "These horses are so well mannered - not one flinched." To watch the replay of the sixth race, click the box below.  KG Mattmerlin and driver Gerry Hudon won the race at nearly 10-1 odds. This latest rabbit scare comes two months after a rabbit caused an accident at the Edmonton track. In that case, the rabbit didn't dash on to the track surface - but came very close, causing one horse to immediately dart toward the outside fence. To watch that Dec. 9th race, click the box below.  BACKSTRETCH BANTER: Fit and ready from three starts at Fraser Downs in January, Stiletto Hall captured the co-feature on tonight's opening card of the winter/spring harness meet at Northlands Park in Edmonton. Coming from off the pace, the eight-year-old gelding (trainer/driver/co-owner Don Monkman and co-owner Don Byrne Stables) pushed his lifetime earnings over $310,000. An opening quarter of 27.4 seconds hurt Trust The Artist, who faltered in the stretch drive in the $8,900 co-feature. To watch the race replay, click the box below.  LID LIFTER: Catch A Dragon started the year on the right foot, winning the opening race of the meet for trainer Glenn Lutz and owners Diane Bertrand and Brent Grundy. She paid $5 to Win... Hudon's stable sent out three winners on the first card of the 10-week meet. (Main page photo: Catch A Dragon winning the first race. Photo credit: J. Huntington) -copyright thehorses.com
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| Last Updated on Saturday, 06 February 2010 17:02 |
