Millionaire pacing mare Monkey On My Wheel won her third consecutive $35,000 Fillies & Mares Preferred Pace at Woodbine Racetrack on Friday night.
Driven by Keith Oliver, Monkey On My Wheel fired off the gate from post nine, but was caught wide early on and took back to fourth. With the inner post advantage, Waasmula (Randy Waples) emerged with the lead over Continual Velocity (Jody Jamieson) and Run On luck (Scott Zeron) through a flashy :25.4 opening quarter.
Waasmula proceeded to lead the full field of 10 to the half in :54.4 while Oliver sent the 8-5 favourite first over with Maureen Rocks (Chris Christoforou) hot on her heels and Jet Speed (Doug McNair) following that mare's cover.
Monkey On My Wheel swept to command en route to the 1:23 third quarter mark and opened up three lengths off the final turn with Maureen Rocks in pursuit. But Monkey On My Wheel prevailed by one and a quarter lengths in 1:51.1, matching her seasonal mark she set in her last start on Nov. 30. Maureen Rocks stayed for second with Jet Speed coming in third.
The 2011 O'Brien Award winning daughter of Mach Three has recorded five victories in 21 starts during her four-year-old campaign while banking $166,610. She is owned by breeder Mac Nichol of Burlington, Ont., trainer Travis Umphrey of Guelph, Ont., and partner Timothy Kane of St. Albert, Alta.
Monkey On My Wheel paid $5.50 to win.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Woodbine Racetrack.
(Photo courtesy of New Image Media)