Heavily-favoured Perfetto powered to a gate-to-wire triumph in Monday’s $34,000 Preferred Trot, and fittingly the O’Brien Award winner from last season managed to do it on the night that voters were supplied their voting packages for this year’s O’Brien Awards.
Perfetto popped to the top from Post 1 for trainer/driver Dagfin Henriksen, and together the led the field through fractions of :29, :57.1 and 1:26.1. Perfetto came under a two-pronged attack in the lane, but his :29.3 closing speed was enough to fend off pocket-sitting Oney Hall by a head. Royalty Deal was a length behind the top two while finishing third.
Gerald Haggerty of Camden East, Ont. owns the 22-time winner, who improved his 2021 record to 6-6-5 from 22 starts with the win. The $17,000 payday bumped his seasonal bankroll to $236,260 while his lifetime earnings climbed to $633,416.
To view results for Monday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Monday Results – Woodbine Mohawk Park.