Afternoon Dreams used an eye-catching final-quarter rally to haul down the favourites and win Monday's $57,100 Lifetime Dream Trotting Series Final for four-year-old mares at Woodbine Racetrack.
Racing as part of a Ben Baillargeon-trained entry, the daughter of Dream Vacation - Form Fitting was handled patiently at the start by driver Sylvain Filion, who got her away in sixth in the field of nine. She watched as stablemate Ocean Mist Dynasty (Mario Baillargeon) put up the first quarter of :27.4.
At that point, the race favourite Saqqara Dream (Luc Ouellette) shot out from third and brushed to command at the halfway point in :57.3. That daughter of Andover Hall led the field to the third marker in 1:27.1, with Afternoon Dreams following the cover of Northern Flare (Karen Carroll) up into fifth position as the field turned for home.
That's when Filion sent Afternoon Dreams three-wide and she uncorked a furious rally to easily haul down the tempo setters and win it going away by four lengths at the finish in 1:56.3. Ocean Mist Dynasty came back on in the stretch to nip Saqqara Dream for the place spot.
The winner returned $9.50 on the nose.
Afternoon Dreams is now two-for-two to start the 2009 season for owners Sylvia Burke of Fredericktown and Randy Ringer of Washington, Pa. The mare, who is now 15 for 19 lifetime, went over $123,000 in career earnings with the victory.
To view Woodbine’s results, click here.
(WEG)