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Vinny N The Iceman Wins Preferred Debut At Century Mile

Dec 10,2024 Standardbred Canada

Vinny N The Iceman stepped up to the Preferred level for the first time in his career with success on Saturday, Dec. 7 at Century Mile as the five-year-old Vintage Master gelding went from last to first for trainer/driver Logan Gillis.

Half of the field in the $12,500 Preferred Handicap sprung off the gate and the pacers were four-wide into first turn with outside assignee Samba Beat (Phil Giesbrecht) pressing on to take command through a quarter in :27.1 over the sloppy track. Meanwhile, Vinny N The Iceman and Gillis trailed the field of eight and were more than a dozen lengths off the leading 3-2 favourite.

Samba Beat, the top money earner of the bunch in three previous starts, slowed down the pace through a half in :56 while the backfield sprung to life with Mercedes (J.F. Gagne) leading the back three into contention. As Mercedes confronted Samba Beat at three-quarters in 1:25, Kioti (Nathan Sobey) swung three-wide off his cover while Vinny N The Iceman loomed the major danger third-over. 

Mercedes took over command from Samba Beat mid-stretch but Vinny N The Iceman rallied by late to steal the glory, winning in 1:54 flat by 1-3/4 lengths with a :28.1 final frame. Mercedes settled for second with Kioti third and Wine Thirty (Mike Hennessy) in the mix for fourth ahead of Samba Beat.

Vinny N The Iceman paid $8.30 to win as the 3-1 second choice, coming off another late-closing victory in a high-end conditioned pace a week ago.

Vinny N The Iceman now has 11 wins to go along with 18 other top three finishes in 68 starts with earnings of $77,123 over two seasons of racing. He's earned four of those wins since being acquired by Gillis and business partner Todd Teolis in August.

(Standardbred Canada)