A set of series finals highlighted Friday’s 10-race card at Woodbine Racetrack, with the boys battling in the Snowshoe and their female counterparts going toe-to-toe in the Niagara.
Awesomeness was much the best once again as he captured the $39,600 final of the Snowshoe Series with the greatest of ease for driver Doug McNair and trainer Ryan Maxwell.
Perfect in the preliminary legs of the series, Awesomeness took a two-hole trip behind Lyons Sands to the quarter pole in :27.2 before sprinting past that foe in the backstretch. Once in command of the tempo, McNair sent Awesomeness through middle splits of :56.3 and 1:25. They used a :28-second closing panel to seal the deal by five lengths over Lyons Sands in 1:53. Big Yellow came on late to finish third.
Purchased late last season by owner Martin Scharf of Lawrence, NY, the four-year-old son of Mach Three-Fancy A Dream improved this year’s record to 3-1-0 from four starts with the win. The eight-time winner lifted his lifetime earnings to $104,300.
Xelene Bayama pulled off a 22-1 upset in the $37,600 final of the Blizzard Series for the team of driver Rick Zeron and trainer Stephane Larocque.
After getting away seventh in the early going, Xelene Bayama chipped away at the leaders in the middle stages of the mile. Jimbelina fired to the front, in the meantime, and was on the hook for fractions of :26.4, :55.2 and 1:24.3. Those solid fractions eventually caught up with Jimbeline, and so did Xelene Bayama. The bombs away winner used a :29-second closing panel to win by 1-3/4 lengths over Jimbelina, who edged out Senseless Beauty for the place award.
The four-year-old daughter of Bettors Delight-Westwin Breeze nabbed her first win of the season – and the second of her career – for Bayama Farms Inc and Zoom And Fish Stable Inc. The homebred pushed her lifetime earnings to $31,235 with the victory.
Sandbetweenurtoes went to the front and didn’t look back en route to winning the $30,000 Fillies & Mares Preferred once again.
The Richard Moreau trainee and driver Doug McNair carved out panels of :27.2, :55.2 and 1:23.2 before cruising home in :29.1 to win by 1-1/4 lengths over P L Hurricane in 1:52.3. Request For Parole rallied from far back to finish third.
Sent off as the 4-5 favourite in the eight-horse affair, the six-year-old daughter of Somebeachsomewhere-Als Girl extended her winning streak to three-in-a-row for owner Brad Grant of Milton, Ont. The 24-time winner has racked up more than $832,000 in her career.
To view results for Friday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Friday Results – Woodbine Racetrack.