After racing four-wide for the final quarter of the mile, Legal Process emerged the winner in a blanket finish in the $7,500 Fillies & Mares Preferred 3 Pace on Wednesday night (January 25) at The Raceway at Western Fair District.
O'Brien Award finalist Bob McClure mapped out the winning trip for the six-year-old Well Said-Legal Wish mare trained and co-owned by Mike Weller.
Insincerity (Paul MacKenzie) took the lead between a pair of early leavers and posted opening panels of :28.4 and 1:00 with Zip Car (Scott Coulter) tipping off the pylons from fourth to head the outer flow. Delta Grace Tone (Robert Shepherd) followed second-over and then fanned three-wide at the 1:29.4 third quarter mark with Legal Process moving out four-high from the backfield. The row of mares entered the stretch with pocket-sitter Miss Brandi K (J Harris) closing along the pylons to make it a five-way finish. In the end, Legal Process defeated her inside rivals by half a length in 2:00.2 over the 'good' track. Delta Grace Tone edged out Miss Brandi K and Insincerity for the runner-up honours while Zip Car got the final paycheque finishing fifth.
Returning to The Raceway's Preferred 3 class that she last won on January 4, Legal Process was sent postward as the 2-1 co-favourite (with Zip Car) and paid $6.50 to win.
A 15-time career winner, Legal Process is now two-for-three to start the year for Weller and partners Susan Woodyatt of Georgetown, Ont. and Cheri Watts of Pompano Beach, Florida.
McClure, Canada's win leader of 2016, drove three winners on Wednesday's card, including the Weller-trained streaking mare Open Skies.
To view Wednesday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Wednesday Results - Western Fair District.