Smart Machine and Red October shared the spotlight after producing the season’s fastest time during the last round of harness racing at the National Equestrian Centre.

With owner and driver Candyce Martins at the helm, Bellhaven Stables’ gelding Smart Machine led the three-horse field across the finish line in 1:02 competing in the second heat in the Free for All time bar to slash a fifth of a second off the season’s previous fastest time.

“It feels great and is a huge accomplishment,” an elated Martins told The Royal Gazette. “I’m very impressed with him and look forward to the rest of the season.

“He continues to surprise me every week. He is only three so his race career is just starting. This is his first full season as he only raced half a season as a two-year-old.”

Smart Machine and Martin’s moment basking all alone in glory proved shortlived as rival gelding Red October, owned by Simsfield Stables, and driver Kirista Rabain equalled the mark in the very next heat competing in the same time bar to grab a share of the spotlight.

“It’s good to be back on top,” Red October’s owner Aaron Sims said. “Once I retired Hard Times I took a season off, and it’s good to be back with a new pony and be on top.

“I did not think the time was that fast he does it so easy and I think he’s got more in him. Kirista is still learning him and they are becoming a good match.

“He only has thirteen weeks training in him as I only got him to Bermuda November 2. Most ponies start jogging in June, so he is playing catch-up but is performing really well considering the amount of time he’s been training and learning our track.

Red October’s rapid ascent in the sport has exceeded driver Rabain’s expectations.

“It’s kind of a shock we have been able to get to this point so quickly with Red,” she said. “Thinking back to our first time out where he was struggling to navigate our track to now where he’s the smoothest thing I have driven.

“He’s a clever boy and I’m so impressed by him. Aaron and I were talking about how impressive he has been dropping times in a matter of weeks. We really don’t know when he will reach his full potential. He’s been a fun journey so far.”

Mello Family’s gelding, War Machine, posted the day’s second fastest time of 1:02/2 with driver Philip Correia and gelding Special Gold, owned by Alaire Godfrey and Yhir Swan, and Smart Machine and Martins the third fastest, stopping the clock at 1:03.

War Machine and Smart Machine held a share of the previous season’s fastest time heading into the last round of harness racing at the Vesey Street racetrack.