Local trotter steady in win

By Dean Shipley

Staff Writer

Agnes must have known. The 6-year-old trotting mare owned by London Mayor Dave Eades must have known her owner was being sworn in for his sixth term on Tuesday. So on Monday evening at Northfield Park in Cleveland, Agnes trotted home hard to give the mayor a winner going into his sixth term.

In a track described as “off,” Agnes, driven by veteran driver, Don McKirkgan, broke out of the No. 3 hole, but was sixth at the half-mile pole. From there she edged her way up to fourth at the top of the stretch. With his gentle urging — Agnes will quit if given the whip — she took off and made up four lengths in the stretch to win by a head.

At first McKirkgan didn’t know he had won and had to be told, Eades said. His goggles were completely covered in mud.

As winner she took $800.