Three-year-old pacing colts and geldings found themselves in the spotlight at a chilly Woodbine Racetrack on Friday evening, as the Mega City oval kicked off the opening round of The Count B Pacing Series

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The first of the two $20,000 divisions went to Totally Empressive, who front-stepped to a 1:55.2 score for driver Randy Waples. The son of The Panderosa-Northern Empress laid down fractions of :28.1, :57.2 and 1:26.3 before kicking home in :28.4 to fend off a late rush from runner-up Playing Solitaire. Cactus Jack rounded out the top three.

Sent off at odds of 5-1, Totally Empressive notched his first win of the 2010 and the second of his career for trainer Bob McIntosh. The gelding, who is owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC of Fredericktown, PA, has banked just over $18,000 in his career.

Jack Moiseyev also used front-end tactics to capture the second split with Come Back, who won as the 2-1 favourite in 1:54.1. The Tim Gillespie-trained son of I Am A Fool-Mary Sue Hanover parked Lake Shark to the quarter pole in :26.4 before letting him loop to the front. Moiseyev quickly reclaimed the lead and supplied middle fractions of :55.4 and 1:25.4 before uncorking a :28.2 final frame en route to the going away tally over Lake Shark and Brusiers Brother.

Len Kordy of Kingston, ON holds the papers on the photogenic youngster, who was victorious in his 2010 debut after going 7-for-9 in last year’s rookie season. The $10,000 payday lifted his earnings to $49,860.

The second leg of The Count B Pacing Series goes next Friday evening at Woodbine Racetrack, and the top ten money earners throughout the preliminary legs will earn berths to the $60,000 final on Friday, February 12.

To view Friday’s results, click here.