Filion Sweeps Series Finals

Published: January 23, 2015 10:57 pm EST

Driver Sylvain Filion swept the finals of the Snowshoe and Blizzard Series on Friday night at Woodbine Racetrack with favourites Kindofabigdeal and Artistic Fusion delivering on their pari-mutuel promises.

Filion first worked out a perfect pocket trip aboard Kindofabigdeal to win the $45,000 final of the Snowshoe Series for trainer Richard Moreau and Hudson Standardbred Stable Inc. of Hudson, Que.

Kindofabigdeal established the early lead, but gave way to the leaving A Boy Named Suuzz (Jonathan Drury) at the :27.4 first quarter mark. After playing "follow the leader" through middle splits of :56 and 1:23.4, the 9-5 favourite retook the lead and held off the late-closing Bad Bug (James MacDonald) by half a length for the 1:53.3 triumph. A Boy Named Suuzz finished two lengths behind in third.

The No Pan Intended-Star Of Show gelding has been a consistent contender in the fall/winter series at Woodbine with top three finishes in the Valedictory and Autumn finals along with victories in three legs of those events. Kindofabigdeal was also victorious in the opening leg of the Snowshoe Series on Jan. 9 and was a runner-up in round two last week. The four-year-old pacer now has seven wins in 13 career starts with earnings soaring to $88,320.

Also teamed up with Filion, Artistic Fusion continued her perfect record in the fillies and mares' Blizzard Series for trainer Joe Agostino and owner Mike Foote of Venice, Florida.

Artistic Fusion settled into fourth while an early three-horse battle for the lead took place through a :27-second opening panel in their $40,000 final. A Fearless Affair (Simon Allard) eventually cleared to command over Badlands Love (Jonathan Drury) while Deuces For Charity (Paul MacDonell) took back and settled into third.

A Fearless Affair proceeded to lead the field through a :56.2 half before the 1-5 favourite launched her attack. Artistic Fusion rushed up alongside the pacesetter as they approached the third quarter station in 1:25.2 and brushed by into the stretch en route to the two and a three-quarter length victory in a season's best 1:54.4. Badlands Love and A Fearless Affair followed in second and third, respectively.

The win was Artistic Fusion's third in a row in the Blizzard event and gives her a second series title in the last two months. The four-year-old Artistic Fella-Kendal Bullet mare also won the final of the Autumn Series on Nov. 28 and was a runner-up in the Niagara Series final on Dec. 26. She now has nine victories in 29 career starts and more than $100,000 in purse earnings.

Both series were for three and four-year-old pacers that are non-winners of two races or $30,000 lifetime as of Oct. 31, 2014.

The weekly $30,000 Fillies & Mares Preferred Pace was won by Greystone Ladylike and driver Doug McNair in 1:53.1. Brent Belore trains the six-year-old distaffer, who made a mid-race move from fifth to first and defeated a from-last Bullet Point (Simon Allard) with Waasmula (Trevor Henry) third. The win lifted the Stonebridge Regal-Lady Courtalis mare's earnings over the $300,000 mark for owners and breeders James and Jean Caddey of Embro, Ont.

To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Woodbine Racetrack.

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