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A busy 2020 stakes season at Woodbine Mohawk Park concludes tonight with the SBOA Finals for three-year-old fillies.
Full fields of 10 will clash in the $141,518 trotting filly final and $138,518 pacing filly final. The SBOA Stakes were rescheduled to this Saturday from their usual position in May.
Last Saturday’s card saw a pair of eliminations contested for each event and the elimination winners will look to carry that momentum into Saturday’s finals.
Susies Lady and P L Notsonice were the eliminations winners on the trotting side. Susies Lady dusted her rivals by nearly five lengths for driver Jody Jamieson and trainer Susie Kerwood, while P L Notsonice overcame an outside starting spot to win for driver Jonathan Drury and trainer Joseph Skowyra.
Just a fifth of a second separated the elimination winners, with Susies Lady the fastest at 1:55.1.
The elimination winners are two of five fillies returning from last month’s Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final. Shape Shifter, who has drawn post 9 in Saturday’s final, was part of a dead-heat for win in the Super Final at odds of 107-1.
Modern Mass is the other filly from the Super Final competing. She joins stablemate Princesspartypants as a one-two punch in Saturday’s final for trainer Roger Mayotte.
The $141,518 SBOA Filly Trot final is carded as Race 5 (8:40 p.m. EST).
The SBOA Filly Pace final is the latest clash between a strong group of sophomores that have waged war all season long. Rose Run Victory and Karma Seelster came through with winning performances in last weekend’s eliminations.
Rose Run Victory unleashed a vicious :26.3 kicker to sweep rivals in her elimination score. She’s now won two in a row since joining the Hensley barn where Ashleigh trains and her husband, Ed, drives.
Burke Racing is part of the new connections of Rose Run Victory, who is now three for 16 on the season.
Karma Seelster has danced all the big dances locally over the last couple of seasons. The Gregg McNair trainee converted off a two-hole trip from driver Doug McNair in her elimination to collect her second win in 14 starts this season.
A daughter of Sportswriter, Karma Seelster has earned $208,311 this season to bring her career earnings to $470,516.
The top earner in the field this season is Lauras Love, who has earned $315,231 in 19 starts for trainer John Pentland. She is one of the headliners along with O’Brien Award winner Alicorn.
The $138,518 SBOA Filly Pace final is carded as Race 7 (9:30 p.m.).
Saturday evening’s card will also feature a $36,000 Preferred Pace and $32,000 Mares Preferred Handicap Pace.
Star three-year-old Beaumond Hanover from the Jack Darling barn will leap up to take on Preferred rivals for the first time. The field also includes the return of 2017 Canadian Pacing Derby champion Sintra, who last raced in the Breeders Crown on Oct. 31.
The Mares Preferred Handicap sees So Much More go back in against the ladies after posting a win and third-place finish in her last two starts against the boys in the Preferred. Lit De Rose will be looking to double up after she won the most recent Mares Preferred back on Oct. 31.
To view Saturday's harness racing entries, click on the following link: Saturday Entries - Woodbine Mohawk Park.