Sr Beach Babe ($6) retook the lead early on and never looked back in Wednesday night's featured $10,000 Fillies & Mares Preferred 2 Handicap Pace at The Raceway at the Western Fair District to give driver Bob McClure his fifth victory of the night. But the country's 2017 win leader wasn't done yet.
Sr Beach Babe was the 2-1 favourite leaving from the inside post position, but 19-1 longshot War Filly (Bruce Richardson) forged on from two starting spots over to clear in the first turn. However, McClure quickly retook the lead with Sr Beach Babe by the quarter pole, reached in 29 seconds, and proceeded to carve out middle splits of :58.2 and 1:27.1 en route to the two-length victory in 1:56.3. War Filly took another shot at the favourite turning for home and ended up third amidst a three-across finish for the runner-up honours, which were awarded to late-closer Ride Away Shark (Travis Henry). Solid Queen (Garrett Rooney) finished fourth.
Canada's current top percentage trainer Craig Gilmour (0.496 URS) conditions the Oaks Enforcer-Sand On The Beach mare, who is now two-for-four since being claimed in mid-February at Woodbine Racetrack for $22,500 by Steve Mihalic of Burlington, Ont.
McClure also won the evening's opener for Gilmour with Gym Class Star ($3.70) and completed a sweep of the early Daily Double aboard the Rene Bourassa-trained HP Mercedes ($3.40). Leading up to his Preferred victory, McClure also won consecutive races with Lisa On Top ($2.80) for the Keith Cullen stable and Burn Em Up Burr ($9.70), an emotional win for the family and friends of the late Dwane Graham, who recently passed away. McClure later pushed his Wednesday win total to six, scoring with Mandeville ($5.40) in the 10th race finale for trainer David O'Brien.
To view Wednesday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Wednesday Results - Western Fair Raceway.