A field of six contested the $400,000 TVG Pacing Championship. Off the wings of the gate, five of the six Free-For-All pacers tried to leave for position. The only horse content to watch the action early was Bettors Edge. That strategy by Matt Kakaley turned out to be the winning one as Bettors Edge stormed down the center of the track, from dead last, to score a 19-1 upset in the TVG Pacing Championship.

 

The first horse to the lead was Mach It So, who took all the late-money being released as the 4-5 favourite. He used every ounce of his speed to clear the lead from the widest post in the field, reaching the opening quarter in a sharp :26.1. But the second choice in the wagering, JK Endofanera, was already on the move and he quickly challenged for the lead down the backstretch and cleared the front before the half-mile in 54 seconds. Meanwhile, Somewhere In L A was headstrong in the three-hole and Corey Callahan could not hold his gelding and was forced to commit first over. Foiled Again picked up the cover in the outer flow, while Bettors Edge inched closer into the third over position. JK Endofanera led past three-quarters in 1:22.2 while facing pressure from Somewhere In L A. As the field turned for home, the Free-For-All pacers spread across the track and all took their shots. Mach It So found room at the pylons, Foiled Again tried to kick off cover, JK Endofanera reached for the wire and Bettors Edge was rallying down the center of the track. In the end, Bettors Edge out-sprinted the talented field to win going away in 1:50. Mach It So rallied up the pylons for the runner-up spot while Foiled Again finished third.

 

Kakaley was pleased to finally get a trip for his six-year-old getting. “He really has had a lot of bad luck,” said Kakaley. “We have been trapped in a few times where he was finishing with pace, but we just had bad luck in those races. Tonight, they were mixing it up early and it really set up well for us. It worked out absolutely perfectly.”

 

Trainer Ron Burke confirmed that both Bettors Edge and Foiled Again will head to North Carolina for the winter and will return for the 2016 racing season. The win in the TVG Pacing Championship was the third stakes win on the night for Burke.

 

The win was the 26th in the career of Bettors Edge, sending his lifetime earnings over $1.8 million.