Mercury Holds Off Positron to Win Great Western Pace

A sellout crowd of 14,473 watched as Mercury held off a late charge by Positron to win the $50,000 Great Western Pace in world-record time Thursday night at Los Alamitos Race Course.

Mercury, a 3-to-5 favorite, led the final mile of the 1 5/8-mile harness race to capture the $27,500 first prize for owners William Whitlock and trainer-driver Marc Aubin. Mercury won by a half-length and equaled the world-record time of 3:13.2.

The Great Western Pace series final was the richest race of the 1991 Los Alamitos harness racing season.

Mercury held off the early pace, allowing Captain Riki and Glenburn Star to take control before he made his move.

Aubin brought Mercury out before the half and made a strong push to gain the lead by the 5/8-mile mark.

Mercury paid $3.40 to win and started a $383.80 trifecta payoff.

Positron was well off the early pace, getting away sixth.

But driver-trainer Lou Pena moved his horse to the outside at the three-quarter mile mark, then had to go four-wide in the final turn.

Parties Galore, trained and driven by Steve Hyman, came from far off the pace and closed with a rush to beat Runaway Groom by a nose for third at the wire.