On Monday, April 29, Better Be Gouda, also known as Betterthancheddar, won his highest-level harness racing race in the Preferred at The Raceway at the Western Fair District.
With the aim to finish quickly, Travis Henry sent the gelding on a speed quest, which allowed him to reach the front by the quarter in :27.3. Better Be Gouda moved first-up and reached the half in 57.4. Docsphillycheese (Alfie Carroll) finished second.
In 1:25.3, the attacker gained a little ground after three quarters but lost ground as he turned to head home. Then, Anthony Haughan's Ideal Perception entered the game from the pocket, but Better Be Gouda won handily in 1:54.4.
Ideal Perception was second, a length from Pembrook Legacy N (Lorne House) in third.
At this point in his career, Better Be Gouda is 29-for-198 with $234,260 in profits. It was his first career Preferred win, and the check he received on Monday will be the most he has ever collected. Leanne Murphy of St. George is the owner of the eight-year-old homebred that Black Macintosh trains.
The winner of the 2023 Prospect Series, Crazy World (Control The Moment), continued his winning run, reaching seven. Driver Garrett Rooney's gelding gained the lead at the quarter and never looked back, winning in 1:54.4. After a seven-month layoff, the four-year-old under Kathy Cecchin's tutelage began on April 15 and hasn't lost since August 2023. He made his final start of the previous year and won the Prospect Series Final. The four-year-old is jointly owned by John and Cecchin.