Saulsbrook Olympia golden in Kin Pace

Saulsbrook Olympia capitalized on a second-over steer from harness racing driver Brett Macdonald to capture the $58,300 Kin Pace on Sunday at Clinton Raceway.

Macdonald dropped the filly behind the leaving group and occupied fifth position for the first quarter mile, which was timed in :28.3. Saulsbrook Olympia followed the favoured A Better Game (Doug McNair) into the outside flow and tracked her cover through the half in :59.3.

A Better Game consistently advanced through the third panel and put her neck in front at three-quarters in 1:28.1. Macdonald right-lined Saulsbrook Olympia for a three-wide final turn move, and the filly surged past A Better Game, early leader Jackieofalltrades (Robert Shepherd), and Sports Duchess (Jody Jamieson) with open air to take Clinton’s signature race in 1:56.3.

Sports Duchess finished second after a pocket ride. Jackieofalltrades was third. A Better Game faded to fourth. The winner paid $6.60.

SAULSBROOK OLYMPIA REPLAY

Macdonald said the race went according to plan.

“Going into it, I wanted to see if I could get Dougie (McNair) in front of me, because he was the best one to follow,” Macdonald told COSA TV in the winner’s circle. “I knew if she got a second-over trip right to the head of the lane, she’d be good.”

Saulsbrook Olympia, a daughter of Big Jim, is undefeated in her last six starts, including all four of her outing this season. The Brian Lee trainee is seven-for-10 overall with $50,021 in earnings for Saulsbrook Stables Inc. of Windsor.

The Kin Pace is for Ontario-sired three-year-old pacing fillies. The race “pays homage to the early days of Clinton Raceway when the Kinsmen and Kinette Club introduced pari-mutuel wagering to the grassroots track in 1970,” according to the Clinton, Ont. track’s website.

Clinton Raceway will be back in action on Sunday, Jul. 11. First post will be 1:30 p.m. EDT.

For full race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink