Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

$346,000 Cane Pace Final at Freehold
Monday, September 5, 2005 at Freehold Raceway
PP Horse                  Driver      Trainer
1 Royal Flush Shark   E. Ledford S. Ledford
3 American Ideal        G. Brennan C. Coleman
7 Village Jolt             Ron Pierce Brett Pelling
8 Revolutionary Foe   Cat Manzi M. Dux
4 Cam's Fool             B. Sears B. Pelling
6 Marced Card           Yannick Gingras D. Brown
5 Jo Pa's Shark           David Miller Jim Campbell
2 Robin Of Locksley    D. Dube S. Ledford
Times: 26.3 55.3 (29.0) 1:23.3 (28.0) 1:52.4 (29.1)

The Skinny: Royal Flush Shark captured the $346,000 Cane Pace by a length and a quarter on Monday afternoon at Freehold Raceway. The Cane Pace is the first leg of the Pacing Triple Crown. The Little Brown Jug (September 22 at the Delaware County Fairgrounds in Ohio) and Messenger (October 17 at Harrington Raceway in Delaware) round out the final two legs of the Crown.

Driven by Eric Ledford and trained by his father Seldon Ledford, the winner is owned by D'Elegance Stable, Royal Flush Stable, Iannacone and Giamarino.

"The race definitely played in our favor," said Eric Ledford. "We needed to be lucky and we got lucky. We couldn't have drawn better (he had post one) or got luckier. When we got away from the gate and landed with our feet under us, I knew we had to follow George (Brennan, driving American Ideal). Jo Pa's Shark is a very good horse and I didn't want to be first over and I didn't know if we'd beat or could beat the horse on the lead (American Ideal). We got lucky and he showed grit and determination."