After breaking around the first turn and almost not making the final last week, Shartin N kept her stride and won going nearly wire to wire in the $370,000 Roses Are Red final in 1:49.3 on Saturday, June 16 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Blazin Britches blasted for the top with Shartin N leaving alongside. Following a quarter in :25.4, Shartin N took the lead from Blazing Britches into the backstretch. Blue Moon Stride, from fourth, angled first over heading to the half, carrying Lyons River Pride second over and L A Delight third over passing the midpoint in :54.2.

Shartin N continued on the lead under minor pressure from Blue Moon Stride, passing three-quarters in 1:22. Blue Moon Stride cut into Shartin N’s lead through the stretch, but Shartin N held the lead through the wire while Blue Moon Stride narrowly held off L A Delight to take second.

Owned by Richard Pollucci and Joann Looney King, Shartin N, a five-year-old mare by Tintin In America out of the Live Or Die mare Bagdarin, won her 11th race in 14 starts and her 18th in 27 overall, earning $681,842. Trained by Jim King Jr., she paid $3.50 to win.

“I kind of let her tell me what to do off the gate, which I’ve always done,” Tim Tetrick said. “Today I did let her step forward and get early position and it worked out where I was going to make my way to the front and I did that. [Last week] she didn’t want to listen to my audible, but she’s a good mare and she’s got her quirks. For as much speed as she has, she has to overcome a lot of that.”

The Roses Are Red was part of a stakes-packed card of harness racing at Woodbine Mohawk Park on 2018 Pepsi North America Cup night. Check out the rest of the recaps in the 2018 North America Cup News Centre.