It was déjà vu all over again for the combination of driver Brad Forward and trainer Casie Coleman as Wholly Louy was a wire-to-wire winner in Woodstock Raceway's $17,500 Preferred Pace on Saturday afternoon.
Forward fired the favourite off the gate from Post 5 and carved out fractions of :27.3, :56.1 and 1:25.1 before closing in :29.1 to secure the three-quarter length victory over Pit Bull (Paul MacKenzie) in 1:54.2. Opies Crusin (Robert Shepherd) was another five lengths back off the leader in third.
Owned by breeder Robert Hamather of Exeter, Ont., Wholly Louy (Camluck – By Desire) is now 5-for-7 on the year – good for seasonal earnings of $44,750 - and the winner of 15 races lifetime.
In the co-featured $15,000 Preferred Trot, the Isaac Waxman owned and trained Will He (Classic Adam – Marathon Lady) found some class relief at Woodstock. After a third-place finish against conditioned foes at Mohawk following a win in the Woodstock Preferred two starts back, Will He was reunited with driver J.R. Plante in a devastating 1:58.2 eight-length romp over Lesterstrikesagain (Don McElroy) and Loose Change Louie (Trevor Henry).
Waxman claimed Will He for $25,000 in mid-May, and in seven starts the trotter has more than paid his way by earning $29,690.
For the lines from Woodstock's Saturday card, click here.