Warp Speed, Dinner Guest Double Up In Valedictory
Dinner Guest and Warp Speed were both repeat winners in Friday's second leg of the Valedictory Pacing Series for three-year-old colts and geldings at Woodbine Racetrack.
The other divisional winners included Steals A Kiss and P H Bestman.
Dinner Guest used gate-to-wire tactics to score in his $20,000 split for Randy Waples in 1:52.2. It was a new lifetime mark for the gelded son of No Pan Intended - Beach Guest who is trained by Chad Schmiedge for the Ceejay Stable, Pat Elynuik and Doris McDougal of Alberta.
It was the colt's eighth win in 15 starts this season and improved his bankroll to just over $63,000.
Warp Speed used a similar approach in capturing his division for Mario Baillargeon in 1:51.4 - the fastest of the four splits and a new lifetime mark for the gelded son of Mach Three - Hopeulive.
It was the fifth win in 10 tries this season for the Ben Wallace trainee who is owned by Southside Cdn Farms Ltd. of Kemptville, Ontario. The win boosted his seasonal bankroll to just over $41,000.
Steals A Kiss (1:53.4) for Jody Jamieson and P H Bestman (1:52.2) for Keith Oliver both took new lifetime marks in capturing their respective divisions.
The second leg of the Valedictory was carried over from last Friday's program which was canceled due to a winter storm. The Valedictory Series Final will now go postward next Friday, January 2.
In other action, Woodbine's Boxing Day card saw seven trotters enter the Campbellville ring in hopes of taking home the lion's share of the $50,000 purse in Open event, but it was San Pail and Randy Waples who prevailed in 1:54.
The four-year-old San Pellegrino gelding got away fifth as Enny Youngman (Mario Baillargeon) set the tempo with opening panels of :26.2 and :56.3. Please Poppy (Mark MacDonald) applied first-over pressure through the middle panels and managed to poke a head infront of the pacesetter after three-quarters in 1:26.1. Those two battled down the stretch but San Pail tipped out from second-over and reached up for the win by half a length.
Please Poppy was the runner-up and Enny Youngman stayed for third.
Rodney Hughes trains and co-owns the winner of 10 races and $324,715 in earnings with Glenn Van Camp of Port Perry, Ont.
To view Friday's results, click here.
(With files from WEG)