Logan Park made his local return to open competition on Monday (Oct. 17) at Woodbine Mohawk Park, while Ontario-sired two-year-old fillies were in action in three $17,000 first leg divisions of the Harvest Series.
In the $34,000 Preferred 2 Trot, Logan Park (James MacDonald) used a :27.3 last quarter to win by a head over the favoured Hp Mama B (Sylvain Filion) in 1:52.4. The Rob Fellows trainee got away third out of the gate, but never saw the rail until the opening quarter in :27.1. He settled for a short stint before popping back off the rail and clearing the front after a :56.2 half. Hp Mama B gave challenge past the 1:25.1 third quarter and the two duelled through the stretch, but Logan Park held on for the win. Hp Mama B finished in second and Hp Royal Theo (Louis-Philippe Roy) finished in third.
Logan Park, pictured above, now has four wins on the season and a record of 11-4-4 in 40 lifetime starts, totalling $654,112 in career earnings. Outofthepark Stable, Reg Higgs and Arpad Szabo own the four-year-old gelding by Archangel, out of the Muscle Mass mare Rite Outa The Park.
In Harvest Series action, Miss Expo trotted to her first win in a gate-to-wire victory in 1:58.1. The Alarm Detector-World Class Image filly went to the gate on the far outside of her classmates and with the majority of bettors' support showing odds of 3-2. As the starter pulled away from the field, Miss Expo did, too, as she made a beeline to the rail ahead of Enola (Bob McClure) and Divinne Magic (Trevor Henry). Miss Expo and driver Sylvain Filion controlled the tempo, the first quarter in :30.3, two lengths ahead of the pack. The pair lengthened their lead by 2-1/2 lengths through the :59.3 and 1:29.2 second and third panels. At the top of the stretch, they broke away from the field entirely by five lengths, eventually crossing the wire with a 9-1/2-length victory over Enola in second and Sant Ambroggio (Daniel O'Brian) third.
Shane Weber trains Miss Expo for owner/breeders Tom and Elizabeth Rankin out of St. Catharines, Ont.
The 2-5 favourite in the first pacing division, Talk Curdy To Me, battled on the outside through a :28 first quarter to make her way to the top. Once settled along the rail, the Betterthancheddar-Keepers Destiny filly kept on going to control the timer in a :57.2 half and 1:26.3 third quarter. At the head of the stretch, the field fanned out and Talk Curdy to Me (James MacDonald) faced a great deal of pressure from Charming Vixen on the inside; however, the Chantal Mitchell trainee dug deeper and won by a head in 1:54.4. Charming Vixen and Bob McClure finished second and Twin B Echo (Jody Jamieson) rounded out the triactor.
Talk Curdy To Me has won three out of her four starts, adding $8,500 on to her now $25,860 in career earnings. She is owned by 9261-7620 Quebec Inc and Mitchell Di Cenzo.
Virtual Kiss sat the pocket trip behind favoured Singing Ramona through panels of :27.4, :56.4 and 1:25.4 until the final eighth of the mile when she popped off the rail to win in 1:54. Virtual Kiss (Trevor Henry) paid $13.80 to win in her new lifetime mark. Sunny Dreams (Bob McClure) paid $24.90 to place and Controlthedistance (Jody Jamieson) paid $14.10 to show.
Rob Fellows trains the Hes Watching-Kisskissbangbang filly, who now totals $34,356 in career earnings for owners Yolanda Fellows, Blair Corbeil and Arpad Szabo.
To view Monday's harness racing results, click the following link: Monday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.