A set of series finals were contested Friday evening at Woodbine Mohawk Park, with the girls battling in the Blizzard Series and the boys butting heads in the final of the Snowshoe Series.
Sugar Dance was one of two mares in the final of the Blizzard Series with a chance to sweep, and she didn’t disappoint as the 4-5 favourite.
Jody Jamieson got away sixth with the Ed Hennessey pupil while Betsea fired to the front and supplied the field with an opening quarter clocked in :28.4. Back In The Game, who also had a chance to sweep the series, made a rush to the lead in the backstretch and she proceeded to lead the field to half in :58.3. She was pressed by Playa Duharas around the final turn, and they went on to hit the three-quarter pole in 1:27.2.
Sugar Dance was tracking the cover of Playa Duharas all the way around the final turn, and when driver Jody Jamieson flipped off cover turning for home it was Sugar Dance using a :27-second final quarter to win by a length over a hard-charging Vintage Whey in 1:54.4. Betsea rallied to be third, while Back In The Game faded to finish fourth.
Michigan partners Sandra Hennessey and Paula Sugars share ownership on the four-year-old daughter of Ghees House-Sugar Biscuit. She’s now 3-for-4 this season and a seven-time winner to date. The lion’s share of the $36,000 purse bumped her lifetime earnings to $51,010.
Bettor B Going disappointed as the favourite in last week’s second leg of the Snowshoe Series, but he was on point in Friday’s final for the tandem of driver Chris Christoforou and trainer Wilford Perrault.
Christoforou hustled the four-year-old son of Bettors Delight-JK Letitgo to the lead from Post 2, and the rest is history. The gelding sailed through splits of :27.2, :55.2 and 1:23.2 before storming home in :28.1 to win by 2-1/2 lengths over race favourite Warrawee Vital in 1:50.3. Third prize went to longshot Bernie.
The 1:50.3 performance smashed the stakes record of 1:52.2 held jointly by Shades Of Bay (2016), Modern Legend (2012) and Giddy Up Delight (2010).
Grant and Joanne Curnow of Pefferlaw, Ont. own the pacer who now boasts a 2-1-1 record from four trips to the track this season. The seven-time winner pushed his lifetime earnings to $85,399 with the victory.
To view results for Friday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Friday Results – Woodbine Mohawk Park.