The Snowshoe Pacing Series continued on Friday night (January 25) at Woodbine Mohawk Park with a pair of $17,000 round two divisions ending in close finishes.
In the first and fastest division of the night, Between The Sheets ($13.30) held off round one winner Legal Bettor by a head in 1:55.4 with Doug McNair catch-driving for trainer Rod Boyd and Link Stb. Sent postward at odds of 5-1 following a fifth-place effort in the first leg, the four-year-old Always A Virgin gelding began to advance from fourth approaching the third quarter mark and after a brief tuck on the turn he reeled in pacesetter Shrimp And Grits (:29, :57.2, 1:26.1), with the wide-rallying Legal Bettor just missing the mark. Kenny Joe finished third, two lengths back.
Trained by Stephen Davis, 11-1 shot Fiesty Fireball ($24.20) prevailed in a three-across finish in the other division, edging out his late-closing stablemate R Bazingga and pacesetter Panther Seelster, who had taken the lead at the :29.3 quarter mark and led through middle splits of :58.3 and 1:27.4. The four-year-old Iowa-bred son of Sneaky B Skipalong, who missed by just a neck finishing third in the opening leg, was on top early on and tracked Panther Seelster before collaring him in deep stretch to score in 1:57.4 with Trevor Henry in the bike. The winning time was a new lifetime mark for the gelding owned by Duane Roland.
The Snowshoe Series is for three and four-year-old colts and geldings that were non-winners of two races or $30,000 lifetime as of October 31, 2018.
In other action, Adriano Sorella's Double A Mint ($6.70) put an end to Kendall Seelster's win streak in this week's edition of the $30,000 Fillies & Mares Preferred Pace. The pair swept by leading lady Tajmeallover in the stretch and Double A Mint held off the favourite by half a length in 1:54.4 with Louis-Philippe Roy aboard for trainer Richard Moreau.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.