Another Sub-1:50 Mile For Sparky Mark

Late season sensation Sparky Mark extended his win streak to five with another sub-1:50 front end effort in the $38,000 Preferred Pace at Woodbine Racetrack on Saturday night

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Firing off the gate from Post 6 in the seven-horse field, Major Hottie (Keith Oliver) established the early lead and posted a :26.3 opening quarter. At that point, driver Sylvain Filion made his move with 3-5 favourite Sparky Mark and the bay four-year-old brushed from fourth to first by the three-eighths mark.

Sparky Mark cruised past the half in :55.1 and three-quarters in 1:22.4 while Fitzs Z Tam (Jody Jamieson) advanced first over from fifth with Upfront Hoosierboy (Mario Baillargeon) and Kindly Poet (Rick Zeron) following his cover.

Sparky Mark was still nearly two lengths clear on top entering the stretch and widened that margin slightly down the lane. He paced home in :26.3 to record his fourth sub-1:50 victory. He stopped the clock in 1:49.2, winning by one and a half lengths over the hard-closing Upfront Hoosierboy. Major Hottie finished four lengths back in third while Fitzs Z Tam and Kindly Poet were fourth and fifth.

Sparky Mark paid $3.50 to win. The four-year-old son of Astreos out of Luckbealadytonite, who took his lifetime mark of 1:49 in last week's Preferred, has won seven of his last eights starts and is now 11-for-15 with $178,250 earned in 2011 for trainer Mark Austin and owner-breeder Leo Thibodeau of Windsor, Ont. The two-time Autumn Stakes winner now boasts a career bankroll totalling $293,590.

This year's Autumn Stakes are just around the corner and a pair of eliminations for the sophomore pacing colt contest were also held during Saturday's card. For recaps of the Autumn Stakes eliminations, click here.

To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Woodbine Racetrack.