Trainer Paul Reid will send out a pair of talented trotting fillies on Mohawk Racetrack’s stakes-laden program this Saturday night (September 17).

The Reid barn will be represented by Winter Sweet Frost in the $363,000 Peaceful Way Final and Flowers N Songs in the $436,000 Elegantimage Final.

Winter Sweet Frost, by Kadabra from the American Winner mare American Frost, drew post seven for owner Rob Key and driver Scott Zeron after finishing third to Thats All Moni in her 1:54.4 victory in the elimination.

“She’s coming out of the elimination very well,” Reid said. “I trained her [Tuesday] morning and she was really sharp.”

Racing six times this season, Winter Sweet Frost has two victories, two seconds, and a third to her credit and $123,991 earned. Her only off-the-board performance was at Grand River in a division of the Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS), where she broke and finished fifth.

“Her driver tried to leave a little too hard with her,” Reid said of her break.

“She has had a couple of little issues; it’s a touch-and-go thing,” Reid said about her development throughout the season. “She tied-up on me once, and has dealt with the typical two-year-old filly things, but she has kind of grown through them. She’s at her best right now.”

Winter Sweet Frost starts outside of race favourite Ariana G, who is attempting to go undefeated in seven starts.

“Obviously our chances aren’t as great as they would be if we drew the inside,” Reid said. “She can hold up if she’s a part of the pace, but she can also come off of it. She has been better when she’s closer.”

Competing from post three for owner Rob Key and driver Yannick Gingras, Flowers N Songs enters the Elegantimage final off a 1:53.2 elimination win as the 8-5 favourite, which was her 10th win in 23 starts this season.

“She has been amazing,” Reid said. “She seems to hold her own. Her soundness and attitude have been pretty easy to maintain because she’s very easy on herself; she’s not an aggressive horse, and that’s helped her maintain her focus and good attitude. She can go race hard and bounce right back, and she trained great [Tuesday] morning.”

Flowers N Songs, a filly by Deweycheatumnhowe from the Windsongs Legacy mare Pleasures Song, was unraced as a two-year-old due to a P1 crack in her back hoof, forcing her to shut down after three baby races.

“We sent her back to Pennsylvania,” Reid said. “Mr. Key let Rich Gillock train her back last winter as a three-year-old; get her ready and prep her. She had a couple of starts early spring and she has kept on going.”

Reid credits her versatility this season to her abbreviated freshman campaign.

“These horses, when they’re good, race so hard at two,” Reid said. “It takes a great horse to come back and do it again at three.”

Typically racing from off the pace, Flowers N Songs won her elimination after brushing to command before the half.

“She’s definitely better off a helmet,” Reid said. “Because she has such a quick burst [of speed], if you can save it, she will beat a good horse, and she’s a pretty good horse herself.”

Caprice Hill, who was bested by Flowers N Songs off a rail trip in the $174,329 Ontario S.B.O.A. Final on May 28, neighbours Flowers N Songs from post four as the race favourite.

“I don’t know if anybody in the country can beat Caprice [Hill]” Reid said. “It’s tough to come at her first up, and you’re not going to grind her down because she just keeps going.

“She’s going to perform,” Reid said of Flowers N Songs. “Whether she can perform with [Caprice Hill], we have to wait and see because she’s a great filly and a filly to beat. But you’ve got to have everything going your way, and you got to hope a couple of things don’t quite go her way.”

The Peaceful Way and Elegantimage are carded as races two and nine, respectively, on the 13-race program.

Here are the fields for the $363,000 Peaceful Way and $436,000 Elegantimage:

$363,000 Peaceful Way
1. Stuck In My Spanks-Paul Macdonell-Scott Mceneny
2. Thats All Moni-Tim Tetrick-Jimmy Takter
3. Pure Kemp-Rick Zeron-Rick Zeron
4. Ariana G-Yannick Gingras-Jimmy Takter
5. Cameron Hill-John Campbell-John Bax
6. Southwind Avanti-David Miller-Nancy Johansson
7. Winter Sweet Frost-Scott Zeron-Paul Reid
8. The Erm-Mike Saftic-Clark Beelby
9. Dream Together-Sylvain Filion-Luc Blais
10. Magic Presto-Trevor Henry-Richard Norman

$436,000 Elegantimage
1. Emoticon Hanover-Sylvain Filion-Luc Blais
2. Worldclass Hanover-Rick Zeron-Rick Zeron
3. Flowers N Songs-Yannick Gingras-Paul Reid
4. Caprice Hill-Randall Waples-Tony Alagna
5. Side Bet Hanover-Corey Callahan-Jonas Czernyson
6. Royal Charm-Paul Macdonell-Mark Steacy
7. Dewdle All Day-Yannick Gingras-Dustin Jones
8. Celebrity Eventsy-Jody Jamieson-Staffan Lind
9. Dream Child-David Miller-Linda Toscano
10. Tymal Tempest-Jonathan Drury-Carmen Auciello

To view Saturday's harness racing entries, click on the following link: Saturday Entries - Mohawk Racetrack.

(WEG)