On a snowy Saturday, Nov. 30, R Royal Port demonstrated his prowess once again at Flamboro Downs, claiming victory in his third Preferred harness racing event out of four recent starts. Guided by Travis Henry, the five-year-old gelding employed his signature gate-speed strategy but faced an early challenge when Insanity, piloted by Colin Kelly, briefly overtook him on the first turn. Undeterred, R Royal Port quickly reclaimed the lead and dictated the pace with quarter-mile splits of :28.2, :58.3, and 1:27.1.
As the race progressed, Boomandbust, driven by Todd Ratchford, launched a determined first-over bid, pressuring the leader through the backstretch. Despite the challenge, R Royal Port maintained his edge, pulling away at the top of the stretch. Insanity, having stalked from the pocket, mounted a late surge in the final furlong but fell short by three-quarters of a length as R Royal Port crossed the finish line in 1:57.2. Boomandbust rounded out the top three.
This latest triumph underscores R Royal Port’s consistency on B-tracks this season, where he has achieved 13 wins from 35 starts, including notable performances at venues like Woodbine Mohawk Park and Batavia Downs. Trained by Gerard Demers and owned by La Ferme Tag of Papineauville, the gelding’s career now boasts 15 wins in 70 starts, with earnings totalling $168,170.
Flamboro Downs continues its racing schedule on Sunday, Dec. 1, with post time set for 6:55 p.m. EST.