With a late burst of speed, Didrickson rallied from eighth at the top of the stretch to prevail in the $60,000 Horseplayer Interactive Stake for older pacing mares, keeping her 2011 record in tact
. The Horseplayer Interactive Stakes, formerly the Ontario Girls Pacing Series, is for non-winners of $50,000 in 2010 as of October 31.
Leaving from the center of the track, elimination winner Flip Flop Summer (Rick Zeron) assumed control and posted a :28.4 opening quarter before a parked out L H Nenia (Phil Hudon) rolled up to take over.
Flip Flop Summer, the slight favourite in the field, moved out for the re-take en route to the half-mile mark of :58.2 while another elimination winner, Miss Maverick (Mike Saftic), moved first over with P Note Blue Chip (Keith Oliver), Holiday Shopper (Jason Brewer), Didrickson (Randy Waples) and Ardor Locke (Jack Moiseyev) following.
Flip Flop Summer reached the third quarter mark in 1:27.1 with Miss Maverick still looming from the first over spot and the backfield beginning to come to life. Didrickson and Ardor Locke came sprinting home off cover into the strong wind with Didrickson getting up in time to edge out the others by half a length in 1:58.1. Flip Flop Summer and Ardor Locke finished second and third, respectively.
Didrickson paid $7.00 to win as the 5-2 second choice. The five-year-old Keystone Raider-Strikadeeze mare is now a perfect six-for-six in her 2011 campaign for trainer and owner Kelly Goodwin of Fowlerville, Michigan. Her earnings climbed to $66,000 for the year and $137,971 lifetime.
Four Starz Horndog turned in another winning effort in the $32,000 Fillies & Mares Preferred Pace featured on the Friday night undercard.
Sylvain Filion and last week’s winner got away fourth in the six-horse field and followed along through fractions of :29.1, :57 and 1:24.1 before making her move around the final bend. The odds-on favourite used a :29.3 final frame to come on for the one length victory in 1:54.3 over a pocket-pulling Warrawee Koine (Jody Jamieson). Pancleefandarpels (Randy Waples) came on for third.
Four Starz Horndog ($4.30) is four-for-five in 2011 and has yet to finish off the board for trainer Richard Moreau and Quebec owners Sylvain Descheneaux, Gaston Bibeau and Eric Bibeau. The six-year-old Four Starzzz Shark-Four Starzzzz Pass mare pushed her seasonal earnings to $64,560 and lifetime earnings over the $300,000 mark with the victory tonight.
For results from Friday's card of harness racing, please click the following link: Friday Results - Woodbine Racetrack.