Wanda Bayama was a late-closing winner over odds-on favourite Much Adoo in the $18,000 first leg of the Niagara Series on Friday night (Dec. 11) at Woodbine Racetrack.

The series is for three-year-old pacing fillies that are non-winners of $50,000 lifetime as of midnight Oct. 31.

Much Adoo (Trevor Henry), winner in a pair of recent Autumn Series splits, left from post three with Dustylane Msvickie (James MacDonald) firing out from post six and clearing before the first turn. However, Much Adoo looped Dustylane Msvickie after the :27.1 first quarter mark. Meanwhile, Wanda Bayama and Sylvain Filion watched the early lead changes from third.

Much Adoo continued to front the field down the backstretch past the half in :57.1 while Amazing Control (Jody Jamieson advanced first over after landing in the six-hole early on. Amazing Control confronted Much Adoo and continued to challenge the favourite past three-quarters in 1:24.4 and into the stretch.

But Filion had tipped Wanda Bayama second over approaching the third quarter pole and the Western Ideal-Joyce Bayama filly rallied onto the scene late. Wanda Bayama swept by the front-runners in deep stretch to win by two and a half lengths in a career-best 1:52.4, with her final quarter clocked in :27.1.

Wanda Bayama shaved five full seconds off her lifetime mark as she notched her fifth win from 16 races this year. The Bayama Farms homebred has now earned $46,814 in 17 career starts. Stephane Larocque is the winning trainer.

Wanda Bayama paid $14.90 to win as the 6-1 fourth wagering choice in her Woodbine debut. Much Adoo settled for second-place honours while Amazing Control finished third. Dustylane Msvickie was fourth and Pinky Tuscadero (Mike Horner) closed well from last for the final paycheque in fifth.

In other action, five-year-old pacing mare Betit To Getit ($8.90) scored a narrow 1:53.1 victory in a $25,000 upper-level condition event to keep her win streak going for trainer/driver Rick Zeron. Billholland Racing's No Pan Intended mare earned her fifth consecutive victory at Woodbine.

One lucky handicapper struck 'gold' taking down Saturday's Jackpot Hi 5 in the 10th race finale. The Filion-driven filly Shez A Gold Mine (17-1) prevailed in 1:55.3 by a neck over Kassaras Song (28-1) and Weekly Special (54-1) to lead the winning combination of 9-1-5-8-6. Black Widow Baby (2-1) was half a length behind and Boozer Bruiser (6-1) completed the top five finish order. The winning handicapper placed a 20-cent base bet for a total of $4.80, for a payout of $242,409.44.

To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Woodbine Racetrack.