Freehold, NJ (My Sportsbook) - Vintage Master, driven by Daniel Dube, easily defeated five rivals Monday to win the 54th edition of the $325,000 Cane Pace at Freehold Raceway. The Cane Pace is the opening leg of pacing's Triple Crown. Trained by Jimmy Takter, Vintage Master covered the mile in a stakes record of 1:50 4/5. Takter is also the trainer of Yonkers Trot champ Judge Joe and the first trainer to pull that double off in 23 years. Rounding out the order of finish in the Cane Pace was Clear Vision, Arctic Warrior, Mr Wiggles, If I Can Dream and Hail Storm. Western Posse and Johnny Z were both scratched from the race. Vintage Master won the Adios Stakes at The Meadows earlier this year and was second to Well Said in the Meadowlands Pace. He was also third in the Battle of the Brandywine at Harrahs Chester in Pennsylvania. The Cane Pace victory was worth $162,500 to push Vintage Master's 2009 and career earnings past the $1 million mark. This year the three-year-old has won three of 15 starts for $1,032,826. For his career Vintage Master has banked $1,135,522. Vintage Master paid $4.80, $2.80 and $2.20. Clear Vision returned $5.20 and $4.00, and Arctic Warrior paid $4.20 to show. The Cane Pace is the first jewel in the Triple Crown; the Little Brown Jug will be contested on Thursday, September 24 at the Delaware County Fairgrounds in Ohio and the Messenger Pace at Yonkers will be held Saturday, November 7. |
