Kindly Poet, driven by Phil Hudon, converted from a perfect pocket trip to upset the first of two Preferred events contested on Friday’s harness racing card at Woodbine Racetrack
.
In the $30,000 Preferred 2 Pace, Major Hottie (Chris Christoforou) flashed his customary early gate speed and set up shop on the front end with Kindly Poet settling in behind and favourite Ok Commander (Doug McNair) getting away third.
Major Hottie led the way past fractions of :27, :56 and 1:24.3 while the parked out Post 9 starter All Tiger N (Luc Ouellette) inched his way up to third with Rush Rules (Jody Jamieson) advancing in behind him.
Rush Rules rallied three-wide around the final turn, but Kindly Poet pulled the pocket into the stretch and blasted by the breaking leader en route to a two length victory in 1:51.3, with his final quarter clocked in :26.3. Ok Commander came in second while the 2011 Fall Extravaganza Mixed Sale topper Grin For Money (Jack Moiseyev) closed well from the backfield for third for his new owner Bradley Grant of Milton, Ont. Rush Rules finished fourth.
Kindly Poet paid $22.70 for the 10-1 upset. The son of Western Ideal-Stonebridge Elite, who won the Preferred 2 two starts ago on Oct. 8 in 1:50.3, is owned by trainer Murray Brethour of Sunderland, Ont., Donal Varcoe of Stayner, Ont., Daniel Sarafian of Stouffville, Ont., and the Scarff Legacy Stables of Halifax, N.S. The victory was his sixth in 24 starts this year and pushed his 2011 bankroll to $127,020. The career winner of 35 races now boasts $855,585 in lifetime earnings.
In another pocket performance, Rebeka Bayama was a repeat winner in the $35,000 Fillies & Mares Preferred Pace tonight in rein to Sylvain Filion.
Leaving from Post 8 in the nine-horse field, Warrawee Koine (Anthony MacDonald) crossed down to the pylons in front of Post 7 starter Rebeka Bayama during a :26.1 opening quarter.
As the mares raced to the half in :55.3, Mystical Victress (Jody Jamieson) launched a first over attack from fourth and applied serious pressure past the three-quarters mark in 1:23.3.
Mystical Victress swept past the leader in the stretch, but Rebeka Bayama snuck up the rail and duelled in a late two-horse battle to the wire. Rebeka Bayama edged out Mystical Victress for the 1:51.2 triumph by three-quarters of a length, delivering on her 4-5 pari-mutuel promise. Racy Gal Hanover (Mario Baillargeon), a 47-1 longshot, finished three lengths back in third off a three-hole trip.
Rebeka Bayama paid $3.80 to win for second straight week. The four-year-old daughter of Leader Bayama-Joyce Bayama earned her fourth win in seven seasonal starts while pushing her earnings to $80,040 for trainer Justin Filion and owner-breeder Bayama Farms Inc. of Saint-Andre-D'Argenteuil, Que. Rebeka Bayama has hit the board in 18 of her 22 career starts (12 wins) to earn $183,568 lifetime.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Woodbine Racetrack.