No Free Lunch joined the Ontario Boys Pacing Series for Friday's $20,000 second leg at Woodbine Mohawk Park and was a wire-to-wire winner with Sylvain Filion catch-driving.
Leaving from the outside post, No Free Lunch crossed to command ahead of his six rivals and cruised through fractions of :29, :58.2 and 1:27.1 with opening round winner Take A Gamble (Travis Cullen) chasing from the pocket, followed by Mustang Beach (Louis-Philippe Roy), while Hesincontrol (Doug McNair) advanced first-over from the backfield. However, No Free Lunch kept clear of his foes as he powered home in :26.2 for the 1:53.3 victory.
He paid $5.80 to win as the slight 9-5 favourite. Take A Gamble followed 1-1/2 lengths behind in second while Hesincontrol made it up to third, matching strides with Mustang Beach in a dead-heat finish.
Harry Poulton trains the Sunshine Beach gelding, who picked up his first victory of the season from three starts and his fifth career win for Thestable No Free Lunch.
New winners also emerged in a pair of $15,000 third leg divisions of the Pop-Up Series, which went to Sunny Sicily ($12.40) in 1:55.3 for trainer/driver Wayne MacLean after missing by a neck in round two and Happy Looker ($9.60) in 1:57.2 with Jody Jamieson in the bike for trainer Mark Winacott. This division of the Pop-Up Series is for pacing fillies and mares not averaging $1,000 per start in 2021-22 (minimum 10 starts).
To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.