Leaving from post two with Clear Vision Campbell grabbed
a spot on the rail as the gate left and watched the battle up front between Up
The Credit, making his 2012 debut, and Clear Vision’s stablemate from the Ron
Burke barn, Atochia. Up The Credit and
Jody Jamieson refused to yield which sent Atochia back to second while Up The
Credit carved early fractions of :27 and :56.3.
Down the backside for the second time, Campbell tipped
his charge out and gained cover in the form of Atochia who cleared the leader
easily before the 1:25 third panel. Clear Vision continued to close and the
stablemates battled through the stretch with Clear Vision prevailing in 1:52.2.
Atochia was right there for second with St Elmo Hero and Stonebridge Tonic next
across the wire to qualify for next Friday night’s $300,000 Molson Pace final.
“Being in the two hole I didn’t have to use him for the
first part of the mile. They were down to the quarter on time and I thought
once I moved him down the backstretch, whether Atochia came out of the two hole
or not, he felt pretty good,” noted Campbell. “When I got cover going into the
last turn he felt real strong pacing out of the turn. He ran a pretty good
horse down.”
As for being back in the winner’s circle at his home
track after such a long absence he noted: “It feels pretty good. It certainly
brings back a lot of memories. The paddock has certainly changed, a lot of the
buildings around here have changed so much I wouldn’t know the place until you
get on the track and then everything becomes normal and natural for me.”
For Clear Vision, a six-year-old gelding by Western
Hanover, it was his second win of the 2012 season. Owned by trainer Ron Burke,
Weaver Bruscemi, the Panhellenic Stable and James Koran, Clear Vision is
verging on breaking the million dollar mark in life earnings with $987,022
banked. Clear Vision is a half-brother to $2.7 million winner Rock N Roll
Heaven.
The second division saw the six horse field line up in
the early going exactly in post position order with Aracache Hanover and Doug
McNair leading the way from the rail followed by Valentino, Foiled Again,
Machal Jackson, Razzle Dazzle and Secret Weapon.
Aracache Hanover rolled by the first quarter in :27.1 and
before he hit the half in :56.1 he had company coming in the form of last
year’s Molson Pace winner Foiled Again. That horse went the tough first up trip
past the 1:23.3 three quarters and was still gaining down the stretch but
Aracache Hanover managed to hold him off to win in 1:51, a tick off the all age
track record. Razzle Dazzle was third
with Machal Jackson also qualifying for the final.
“We made the front pretty easy. The best one in there
(Foiled Again) got away third, he come first up and we couldn’t shake him
- (racing) on the outside it’s pretty
tough to do that. He fought tough but ours raced big too,” noted McNair whose
father Gregg handles the training.
A five-year-old son of Dragon Again, Aracache Hanover is
now 3-3-1 in nine starts this year for owners Bill Switala and James Martin.
The draw for next Friday night’s $300,000 Molson Pace
final, the track’s signature race was conducted after the two eliminations. The
eight finalists will line up as follows:
1. St Elmo Hero
2. Clear Vision3. Atochia
4. Machal Jackson
5. Razzle Dazzle
6. Foiled Again
7. Aracache Hanover
8. Stonebridge Tonic
