Three-year-old pacing fillies produced a tight finish in the lone $30,000 Western Filly Pace elimination held on the opening night of Northland Park’s 16-day winter meet
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Heavy 2-5 favourite Mystic Maiden (David Hudon) tried to extend her 12-race win streak as she fired to command from Post 5 in front of Rossridge Fortune (Keith Clark) and carved out opening fractions of :28.3 and :59, but would be denied win No. 13 by another streaking filly.
With her own win streak to protect, River Lass made her move from fourth down the backstretch and put away Mystic Maiden as they raced past three-quarters in 1:27.4. Her work was not done yet though as Rossridge Fortune was gearing up and W Jean (Bobby Clark) began to weave through horses down the stretch. The three fillies were separated by just three-quarters of a length at the wire with River Lass hanging on for the 1:57.4 victory, her sixth in a row. W Jean was a neck back in second with Rossridge Fortune third.
River Lass paid $8.10 to win as part of the 3-1 second choice entry. Kelly Hoerdt trains, drives and co-owns the As Promised-Brass Buttons filly with Blair Corbeil of Beaumont, Alta. River Lass has compiled a record reading 12-4-1 in 20 starts this year and has banked $150,236 so far in 2010.
One race prior to the elimination, Second Fancy wired a field of Open pacing mares for trainer-driver Don Monkman Jr. The five-year-old daughter of Allamerican Native-Fancy Trouble left from Post 4 in the $11,500 event and carved out fractions of :28.4, :57.2 and 1:27 en route to an untested 1:57.3 victory. Pocket-sitter Lady And Thetrench (Keith Clark), the 2-1 favourite, finished two and three-quarter lengths behind and Western Bee (J.F. Gagne) was third.
Second Fancy paid $7.70 to win as the 5-2 second choice. The victory was her second in 25 starts this year and pushed her earnings to $29,686 for 2010 and $121,799 lifetime. She is owned by Don Byrne Stables 2008 Inc. and Don M JR Stables of Edmonton, Alta.
Three-year-old colts and geldings will face off in a pair of Western Pace eliminations during tomorrow afternoon’s program. Post time is 1 p.m. Both the $100,000 Western Filly Pace and Western Pace finals will take place next weekend at Northlands.
To view Friday's results, click here.