The Inverness, N.S. oval hosted the second leg of the Atlantic Sires Stakes for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings on Sunday afternoon

In the afternoon’s Atlantic Sires Stakes action, Smilin With Lou was the fastest ‘A’ division winner as the Bernard McCallum trainee lowered his lifetime mark to 1:56.1 in rein to Corey MacPherson. The winning time matched the three-year-old pacing colt track record set in 2014 by Rancousy.

Smile With Lou was parked the opening panel and got shuffled to last of five when early trailer Tobins Gem (Gilles Barrieau) went after even-money pacesetter Oceanview Lou (Brodie MacPhee) to exchange blows to three-quarters in 1:27.4. But Smile With Lou emerged onto the scene and swooped the group with a :27.4 finale to win as the bettors’ 3-1 third choice. Oceanview Lou settled for second one length behind while Tobins Nibbler (Jason Hughes) finished third.

Winless in 11 starts as a two-year-old, Smilin With Lou is three-for-five so far this year with stakes wins in back-to-back weekends. The Blood Money-Keep Smiling colt, who also won a Phil Pinkney Memorial division at Northside Downs on June 20, is a homebred for Gordon McCabe of Onslow Mountain, N.S.

Windemere Britt claimed his second Atlantic Sires Stakes ‘A’ trophy this season with a wire-to-wire victory clocked in 1:58.4 for trainer Kyle Williams.

Driver Paul Langille had the Somewhere Fancy-Hart Of Windemere gelding moving to the front ahead of an inside breaker in the first turn and set tepid fractions of :30.1 and 1:01 to the half before picking up the pace to three-quarters in 1:30 and closing it out in :28.4. Woodmere Mahomes (Gilles Barrieau) edged past Woodmere Kobe (Corey MacPherson) in a late drive to the wire to finish second, one length behind the winner, who was the 5-2 third choice on the tote board.

After winning two of 11 starts as a freshman, Windemere Britt boasts a near-perfect record this year with just a half-length defeat in the Donnie & George Turner Memorial Stakes out of his first four sophomore starts. He is owned by Dads Without Abs of Fredericton, P.E.I.

Zero Two Sixty and driver Marc Campbell won the other ‘A’ division in 1:57.4 by two lengths after turning back a challenge from first-round winner Darbies Fancy (Gilles Barrieau).

With the inside post advantage and the leaving favourite Sporty Anthony (Corey MacPherson) breaking stride in the first turn, 2-1 second choice Zero Two Sixty established the lead and cruised through opening panels of :29.4 and :59 before being met with a challenge from Darbies Fancy as they raced by three-quarters neck and neck in 1:29.1. Zero Two Sixty found more, closing it out in :28.3 to fend off that rival and secure his first win of the year. Goose Commander (Jason Hughes) rounded out the top three.

After winning half of his 14 rookie races, the Tobago Cays-J J Mistress gelding was knocking at the door with top-three finishes leading into Sunday’s stakes and won his sixth sophomore outing for Greater Lakeburn, N.B. trainer Sifroi Melanson’s Ultimate Stable.

In the lone $6,000 ‘B’ division, 7-5 favourite Blazing Cays (Tobago Cays-Jenna Grace) made up an early 10-length deficit to win in 1:58.2 in his first Atlantic Sires Stakes start for trainer/driver Darren Crowe and the ownership group of Keith MacDonell and Lewis MacDonell of Port Hood, N.S., and Route Nineteen Racing of Judique, N.S.

To view Sunday’s harness racing results, click the following link: Sunday Results – Inverness Raceway.

(Standardbred Canada)