Teenage harness driver Thomas “Cashew” Whited celebrated his birthday in dramatic fashion at Bermuda Equestrian Centre yesterday, posting the season’s fastest time en route to winning the Correia Construction & Keen Limited Best 3 Aged Stakes final.

Whited, who turned 18 on Saturday, ran a 1:03/4 in the second final heat with mare, Abbey’s Dream, starting on the rail to better the 1:04 achieved by Eddie Roque’s stallion, GV Crystal Ball, this season by one fifth of a second.

Abbey’s Dream’s time was one fifth of a second slower than the mare’s track record (1:03/3) which she holds at present.

“She was so close off the mare record, I was like hmmmm,” a jubilant Whited said. “But I was so happy to get my second three (sub 1:04).

“I was really nervous in the second heat. I don’t know why but she came out real strong and I was really happy.”

Abbey’s Dream thrust herself in the thick of contention for the coveted trophy and blanket after finishing second in the first final heat starting from the four hold.

The Island’s fastest mare then clinched the title after taking line honours in the final heat to finish both heats with a combined three points.

Captain Chaos (Maurice Raynor) won the remaining final heat in the Aged division and placed second overall with five points.

Cherokee Kibbitz, driven by Lewayne Miller, from Indiana, rounded off the podium finishers with six points.

Pre-race favourite GV Crystal Ball (Roque) failed to live up to expectations, finishing last after losing out on third position to Cherokee Kibbitz on a tie-break after both ponies finished level on points.

Abbey’s Dream set the mare’s track record two years ago with EJ Carreiro in the sulky.

Emerging victorious in the Best 3 3 & 4 Year Old Stakes final was gelding, Its- allaboutme, with Kenny Mills at the helm. Itsallaboutme, with four points, lived up to his name after pipping nearest rivals IC’s Shakedown (Lewayne Miller) and Cherokee’s Ironman (Dale Miller) for the title by a solitary point.

Brenda Cordoza’s pony finished third in the first final heat and first in the second to end the day with a bang.

“First of all, I am very happy for momma Brenda and Choppa [co-owner Noel Jones] who put a lot of time in with these animals,” said Mills, the former PHC Zebras footballer. “It feels good to win my first stakes race and I am very ecstatic.”

IC’s Shakedown won the remaining heat in the Best 3 3 & 4 Year Old Stakes final to pip Cherokee’s Ironman for second on a tie-break after the ponies finished level on points.

Itsallaboutme, IC’s Shakedown and Cherokee Ironman were bred in Indiana and arrived in Bermuda in October.