Maple Leaf Spirit became the single fastest three-year-old trotting filly to step foot on Charlottetown Driving Park's half-mile track with her 2:00.1 winning effort in the $7,570 Maritime Breeders Final for sophomores on Saturday
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With the inside post advantage, the standout filly took control of the field off the gate and carved out fractions of :30.1, 1:00.2 and 1:30.4 en route to the one length victory. The time of the mile shaved two-fifths of a second off the track record, which was established by Final Balance and matched by Maple Leaf Spirit in the Atlantic Breeders Crown on Oct. 9.
West River Victory sat a three-hole trip and improved one position by the wire for trainer-driver Clare MacDonald while pocket-sitter The Iceman Aireth finished four lengths behind in third for trainer-driver Marc Campbell. Favourite Waiting On A Woman and driver Corey MacPherson recovered from an early break to finish fourth and Rustico Redflame and driver Joey Pineau earned the final paycheque finishing over 11 lengths behind in fifth.
Maple Leaf Spirit paid $5.70 to win as the second choice. Trainer-driver Ralph Annear co-owns the daughter of Meadowagogo-Maple Leaf Legacy with Steven Sorrie of Montague, P.E.I. The win was her fourth in a row and 10th in 12 starts this year. She has never finished worse than second in 26 career starts and has earned more than half of her $74,876 bankroll this year.
Earlier on the card, the Willie Murphy-driven Saulsbrook Balance wired a field of Open trotters for a two and a half length victory in 2:00.3. Dunmore Alpha (Mark Cullen) and Napanee Seelster (Danny Romo) were second and third. Cynthia MacDonald trains and owns the six-year-old son of Nikes Image-Animated Lady with Tanya MacKinnon of Souris, P.E.I. He paid $4.50 to win as the favourite.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Charlottetown Driving Park.