On a card that featured younger horses in Harvest Series first legs and finals, it was an older horse and familiar face who stole the spotlight in the $40,000 Fillies & Mares Open on Friday, Nov. 7 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

A stout field of five older pacing mares went postward in the Open contest, with Grit N Grace grabbing 2-5 favouritism from the betting public ahead of 5-2 second choice Talk Curdy To Me. Those two mares were one-two in the early going, with Grit N Grace (Jody Jamieson) fronting the field to the first station in :27.1 over the good going and then yielding to Talk Curdy To Me (Louis-Philippe Roy) down the backside.

Talk Curdy To Me hit the half in :56.1, with So Much More and driver Doug McNair starting a first-over bid approaching the three-quarter mark. Jamieson angled Grit N Grace back out, providing cover So Much More through a 1:24.2 third panel with Absolution (Todd Ratchford) perched third over turning for home.

Talk Curdy To Me melted on the lead, giving way to Grit N Grace as So Much More and Absolution fanned out for the stretch drive. With Grit N Grace seeking the wire, So Much More showed so much more grit and grace than her opponents and hit the wire a half length in front of Grit N Grace in 1:52.2. Absolution rounded out the top trio, within a length of the leaders.

Don Beatson of Granton, Ont. trains and co-owns So Much More with Kenn Beatson of Palgrave and Cole England of Exeter, Ont. Now a 78-time winner in her storied career with more than $1.8 million in earnings, the nine-year-old daughter of Big Jim - Ladysai notched her first top class tally at Mohawk since Dec. 29, 2023.

Sent off at odds of 18-1, So Much More returned $38.40 to win.

Favourites delivered for their connections and supporters in the two Harvest Series finals carded. Anibal Duharas ($3.40) scored by four lengths in a 1:57 romp to prevail in the $43,000 Harvest Series final for Ontario-sired two-year-old male trotters.

Louis-Philippe Roy allowed Wolverine Legend (Trevor Henry) to trip the first timer in :28.4 and then right-lined the 3-5 choice down the backstretch. Anibal Duharas cleared easily, and then faced no serious challenges from there. After middle splits of :58.2 and 1:27.4, Anibal Duharas trotted home in :29.1 to win by four over Wolverine Legend and a hard-closing Go Rossco (Roger Mayotte).

A son of Green Manalishi S - Cleopatre Duharas, Anibal Duharas now sports three wins in 10 starts with $61,050 in earnings for owner  Westover De L'Estrie Inc. of Saint-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Que. Kyle Fellows handles the training.

Scoprion Seelster ($2.40) made good on his pari-mutuel promise, winning the $47,200 final of the Harvest Series for rookie male pacers.

Leaving from post six, Scorpion Seelster was pointed forward by driver Jody Jamieson and cleared Evans Legacy (Trevor Henry) around the three-eighths mark after being parked through a :27.2 opening quarter. After a :56.4 half and 1:25 third station, Scorpion Seelster paced home strongly and willingly with Jamieson motionless through most of the stretch. A few reminders late in the mile clinched the 1:53.3 decision, besting Evans Legacy by 1-3/4 lengths. Longshot Pa Salt (Todd Ratchford) closed well to hit the bottom of the triactor ticket.

Scorpion Seelster (Bulldog Hanover - Soiree Seelster) is trained by Dave Menary for owner Kjell Andersen of Walchwil, Switzerland. He's now a three-time winner in seven appearances with $47,880 in purses earned.

Friday's card also featured the first leg of the Harvest Series for three-year-old pacing fillies, with favourites once again finding their way to visit track photographer Clive Cohen in the pair of $20,000 dashes.

Cold Creek Fuego ($2.30) didn't land on the lead until close to the :56.4 half, but the 1-9 shot would not be denied on this occasion. Driver Louis-Philippe Roy patiently pointed his filly to the front, eventually clearing Marlenes Legacy (J. R. Plante) down the backside, then calmly controlled the tempo from there. With the third quarter up in 1:25.3, Cold Creek Fuego fired home in :28.2 for the easy 1:54 score. Steady Heart (Jamieson) closed steadily to finish second, 1-1/2 lengths in arrears, with Marlenes Legacy holding onto third.

As Cold Creek Standardbred, Dan Walker of Grafton, Ont. trains and owns Cold Creek Fuego, now a seven-time winner in her career. The three-year-old daughter of Sunfire Blue Chip - Tymal Black Satin lifted her earnings to $72,905 with the victory.

Roy made it a sweep of Harvest Series legs for the sophomore fillies, going gate-to-wire with Parkavenuejanet ($5.50) in the second division. Clearing Pick Me Up Hanover (Jamieson) through a :28 opening quarter, Parkavenuejanet didn't face a serious threat from there. After a :56.1 half and 1:24.1 third quarter, Parkavenuejanet needed just a :30.1 final stanza to best her rivals by 3-1/2 lengths and stop the clock in 1:54.2. Pick Me Up Hanover bested Mcjazz (Daryl Thiessen) for the show spot.

Hutt Racing Stable of Malvern, Pa. holds the papers on Parkavenuejanet, a three-year-old McWicked filly out of Parkavenuejulieann. She's now a three-time winner in her 15-start career for trainer Dave Menary with $47,920 in earnings.

The second leg of the Harvest Series is slated for Friday, Nov. 14 with the $40,000A final seven days later.

St Lads Beat It (1:55.2; $4.30) and Hes Swift (1:54.2; $3.40) prevailed in the pair of $10,000 Pop-Up Series divisions for $8,000 claiming horses and geldings.

For the full results from Friday's card of harness racing outside of Campbellville, click the following link: Friday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.

(Standardbred Canada)