Vieira makes his move on Down Home Punch
Down Home Punch driven by Joe Vieira moved up a time bar while Colin Mello’s Big Red Machine came to within two fifths of a second of equalling the season’s fastest time during weekend harness racing.Down Home Punch, owned by Driving Horse and Pony Club president Arnold Manders, achieved the feat after running a 1:04/4 in the Aged Best-of-Three Series Stakes.Mello’s stud Big Red Machine clocked the fastest time of the day (1:0⅔) in the same heat which he won by a comfortable margin over nearest rival Vieira.Big Red Machine currently leads the Aged Best-of-Three Series Stakes after four races with GV Crystal Ball (Edward Roque) and Cherokee’s Superman (Philip Correia) rounding off the top three.Colonel’s Finest (Arnold Manders) leads the Three-Year-Old Best-of-Three Series Stakes while Real Ladylike (Aaron Sims) currently tops the four and five-year Olds-Best-of-Three Series Stakes.The Stakes will see the top four ponies after six heats in each age category advance to the final consisting of two additional heats. The driver with the least amount of points at the end of the series will be declared the winner.All entries in the Three-Year Old Best -of-Three Series Stakes are already guaranteed a place in the final as there are only four ponies in that age category.Sunday’s racing did not go without its share of drama as Kentoin Jones’ colt Hedemon went down on the track in heat eight which was called off due to the incident. Both driver and pony were uninjured in the mishap and were scratched from the 16th heat as a precaution.Recording three heat wins on the day was Chad Sutherland. He had a win in the 1:06/1-1:07/1 time bar with Royal Winner and swept both heats in the 1:15/1 & Slower time bar with Don’t Skipa Beat.Among the night’s double heat winners was 60-year-old driver Johnny Paynter, female driver Lindsay Sousa, Roque, Keith Woodley and Cameron Harris.Paynter had two wins with Leo Simmons’ mare Ribbons & Pearls in the 1:08/3-1:10/3 time bar, Sousa had a win in the 1:06/1-1:07/1 time bar with Mr Indiana and another with Real Ladylike in the four and five Year-Old Best-of-Three Series Stakes.Veteran driver Roque enjoyed two wins in the Aged Series Stakes with GV Crystal Ball, Harris recorded a win in the Aged Series Stakes with Track Patrol and another win with GV Speed Demon in the 1:06/1-1:07/1 time bar while Woodley chalked up two wins with Spirit of Bruna in the 1:13-1:15 time bar.