To Helen Back rolled right to the front of the field and kept all eyes locked on her as she coasted home to win for the first time this year in the $44,000 Fillies & Mares Open Pace at Mohawk Racetrack
.
The six-year-old Astreos mare posted an 8-1 upset after wiring the field of six in the Friday feature. Mike Saftic sent To Helen Back to the lead from the outside post and she carved out panels of :26.3, :56.1 and 1:24.1 en route to an unchallenged 1:51.1 victory by nearly three lengths.
Kg Katriona (Jason Brewer) and Michelles Power (Jody Jamieson) finished in second and third place.
Post time favourite Dreamfair Eternal (Tony Kerwood) attempted to move first-up from fifth before the half, but struggled to gain ground and then rolled off stride in the stretch.
To Helen Back, who has yet to finish out of the money in six seasonal starts good for nearly $60,000, notched her 18th lifetime victory pushing her bankroll to $852,850 for trainer John Pentland and owners Mike and Anne Shunock of Dorchester, Ont.
In other action, trainer Rheal Bourgeois had a perfect night sending out three winning pupils. Elm Grove Ilse dead-heated with Beach Bath in Race 6 establishing a new mark of 1:53.3 while Elm Grove Camlady took the ninth race in a career-best 1:53.3. Armbro Decal capped off the night winning in 1:54.4. Randy Waples drove all three winners.
Bourgeois has recorded four wins this year earning $93,061. In his career, the resident of Moffat, Ont. has sent a total of 477 winners postward earning over $6.6. million in purses.
To view Friday’s results, click here.