Carter Gimblett, known for capturing moments in the Winner's Circle at Flamboro Downs, recently found himself in a new light as he clinched his first driving triumph aboard Always Been Crazy during Sunday's 11-race card on March 10.
Gimblett set the pace right from the start, propelling Always Been Crazy to the forefront as soon as the gate opened from the outermost post six. Racing through the snow, Always Been Crazy surged to a commanding four-length lead down the backstretch, clocking in at :29.1 for the first quarter.
Gimblett controlled the tempo towards the halfway mark, guiding the field to the half in 1:00.1, closely followed by Travis Cullen on Carson Star Choice who trailed by two lengths. Cullen made a move past the half, drawing alongside the leader on the third turn, but Gimblett accelerated on the approach to three-quarters, fending off Carson Star Choice and maintaining a one-length lead at 1:29.4.
As they entered the final turn, Gimblett spurred Always Been Crazy forward, entering the homestretch with a slight lead. However, the gelding drifted off the rail, paving the way for Just A Poor Boy and Samuel Filion to make their move up the inside.
Just A Poor Boy made a strong push to overtake Always Been Crazy, but the latter, under Gimblett's guidance, rallied back just before the wire, securing a neck victory in 2:00.4. Just A Poor Boy's disqualification to fourth place due to a break at the wire led to Boots N Brian (Larry Small) moving up to second, followed by Shadow Warrior (Austin Sorrie) in third. Always Been Crazy rewarded its supporters with a payout of $20.20.
This win marked Gimblett's maiden victory in his first parimutuel drive, a significant achievement for the driver, who also serves as the owner and trainer of Always Been Crazy. Additionally, the victory added to Gimblett's training accolades, following his first training triumph with Wine Tyme at Kawartha Downs in 2022. Always Been Crazy, a six-year-old son of Sunshine Beach-Notable Beauty, now boasts a total of 18 career wins and a career earnings of $90,150.