It was big and it was fast! Forty-nine horse and rider teams competed for top slots in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis, Friday. Seventeen made the jump-off, with times getting progressively faster and building to a bang as the last pair to take the field, John Pearce and Chianto, knocked it out of the park for the win in 42.68 seconds.

Pearce, who lives in Bermuda Dunes, California, and rides for Canada, was able to shave fractions of a second off the ride that immediately preceded his – a tour by Germany’s Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and Windward Farm’s Unbelievable in 42.82 seconds, who took second place. Michaels-Beerbaum was also third on Octavia Farm’s Malou, in 44.38 seconds.

It was the second SmartPak Grand Prix win this winter for Pearce and Chianto, owned by Forest View Farm and Allison Moore. The duo won the $30,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis, on February 24.

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