In a vintage performance worthy of the great champions of the past, Vintage Master won the 55th Cane Pace on Labor Day, Sept. 7, at Freehold Raceway, Freehold.
In joining such greats as Bret Hanover, Albatross and Niatross, who are all previous winners of the Cane Pace, Vintage Master was masterful.
Vintage Master was driven by Dan Dube and the 3-year-old pacer equaled the Freehold track record of 1:50.4 set by Art Official. Vintage Master won going away by 5½ lengths over Clear Vision. Arctic Warrior was third.
Arctic Warrior set the pace out of the gate, but by the quarter-mile pole, Dube had Vintage Master in the lead clicking off punishing fractions. The quarter was run in 25.6 and the half was 55.4. A time of 1:23.2 at three-quarters of a mile gave the sophomore pacer his shot at Art Official’s track record.
In taking home his share of the $325,000 purse, Vintage Master joined harness racing’s millionaires club with career earnings of $1,135,522.
For Dube, this was his first Cane Pace triumph.
The Cane Pace is the first leg of the Pacing Triple Crown. The second leg in the Triple Crown is the Little Brown Jug at the Delaware County Fairgrounds in Ohio, on Sept. 24. The Messenger Stakes completes the Triple Crown lineup on Nov. 7 at Yonkers Raceway in New York.
The most recent Triple Crown champion was No Pan Intended in 2003. As the Cane Pace winner, Vintage Master is the only pacer who can win it this year.