A Boy Named Suuzz, Ramblingamblinman and P L Heavenly were all runner-ups during last week's opening leg of the Snowshoe Series at Woodbine Racetrack, but the placed pacers stepped up their game on Friday night to post victories in the second round of the series.
A Boy Named Suuzz established a new lifetime mark of 1:52.2 in the first of three $16,000 second leg divisions with Jonathan Drury in the sulky.
Leaving from the middle of the full field, 3-1 third choice A Boy Named Suuzz had round one winner Whistle Jimmy K (Doug McNair) cross over to command from the outside heading to the first turn, with Verbalize (Roger Mayotte) pursuing from post seven and taking over after the :27.3 first quarter. As they raced down the backstretch, Drury made his move with A Boy Named Suuzz and was forced wide briefly as favourite Whistle Jimmy K beat him to the punch off the pylons. Once Whistle Jimmy K hit the half in :56.1, A Boy Name Suuzz rolled by and raced to three-quarters in 1:23.4. He opened up three and a quarter lengths from there to secure the victory while Ys Lotus (Simon Allard) came wide around first over D Gs Justlikethat (Sylvain Filion) and edged out that rival in a photo for second-place.
Trainer Robert McMillan co-owns A Boy Named Suuzz with Gary McCready, Katie Huskinson and Bruce Somers. The four-year-old Mr Saratoga gelding now has four wins in 26 career starts and close to $50,000 in earnings.
Even-money favourite Ramblingamnlinman journeyed first over to win the second division in 1:53.1 for trainer/driver Rick Zeron.
Ramblingamblinman went first up from fifth after last week's winner and this week's outside assignee, Vegas Rich (Sylvain Filion), dropped in front of him from the outside post heading into the backstretch. The favourite advanced up alongside American Island (Trevor Henry), who led through a :27-second opening panel and middle fractions of :55.3 and 1:24.3. Ramblingamblinman put away the pacesetter around the final turn and drew off to win by five and a quarter lengths. Bad Bug (James MacDonald) got by Newbie (Randy Waples) in the final strides for second.
Rita Polese's four-year-old Lis Mara gelding earned his sixth career victory in 25 starts and is closing in on $50,000 in purses won.
Driven by Anthony MacDonald, P L Heavenly was victorious in the final division, defeating round one winner Kindofabigdeal in 1:54.3.
MacDonald sent Victor Puddy trainee P L Heavenly to the front from post seven over Mittcent Vangogh (Chris Christoforou) during a :28-second opening panel, but Mittcent Vangogh swooped around the early leader while favourite Kindofabigdeal (Sylvain Filion) launched his attack from fifth and rushed up three-wide. Kindofabigdeal pulled ahead and cleared just past the :58.1 half-mile mark then continued to lead through three-quarters in 1:26.1 while Santanna Man (Simon Allard) advanced first up to press the pace. Shuffled back to fifth and locked in along the pylons at the top of the stretch, MacDonald maneuvered 6-1 fourth choice P L Heavenly between horses down the lane to get up in time for the three-quarter length victory. Kindofabigdeal settled for second and Santanna Man finished third. Decisive Destiny (Trevor Henry), a winner during the opening leg of the series, finished fourth tonight.
Owned by Bay Street Bulls Lp, the four-year-old gelded son of Jeremes Jet is now five-for-16 in his career with his winnings topping the $50,000 mark.
The Snowshoe Series is for three and four-year-olds that are non-winners of two races or $30,000 lifetime as of Oct. 31, 2014 and continues next Friday night with the $45,000 final.
Marquise De Sarah defeated Putmeintogo (Sylvain Filion) for the second straight week in the $30,000 Fillies & Mares Preferred Pace, this time by a neck in 1:52.3 with James MacDonald catch-driving. Robert Bridges' homebred Mach Three mare now boasts a four-race win streak. David Menary was the winning trainer.
The 1-2 favourite fought off first over challenger Bullet Point (Simon Allard) in the stretch and held off the pocket-pulling Putmeintogo while Greystone Ladylike (Doug McNair) came on for third. It was the 16th career win for the five-year-old mare.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Woodbine Racetrack.