You could’ve used a blanket if you were out on the oval Saturday night at Woodbine Racetrack. With February firmly locked in the grasp of 'Old Man Winter,' the temperatures on track were bone-chilling, at best.
The drivers participating in Woodbine’s ninth race of the evening, a $19,000 conditioned trot, were bundled to the nines when they paraded out for the tilt and braved the elements. As far as everyone is aware, there were no literal blankets being utilized on the racecourse at any point during the contest – although, a ‘blanket finish’ of the proverbial variety made Race 9 one of the highlights of Saturday’s live program.
Sent off as the post time choice, West Side Story took a stalking approach after the wings folded, as his pilot, Chris Christoforou, held him well off the tempo in eighth right from the word ‘go.’
Christoforou and his bay charge bided their time throughout the mile. They applied their calculated approach through splits of :27.3, :57.2 and 1:25.4, and were positioned no better than eighth – or seven and a half lengths in arrears – at any point during the first three quarters of the mile.
Like many of the Woodbine Entertainment Group’s top drivers, Christoforou knows a thing or two about bringing winners home to the wire at the suburban Toronto oval. When the career winner of 5,800 races called on West Side Story, the son of Conway Hall responded in full.
Erasing his seven-and-a-half-length deficit, West Side Story started to braven up as he dug in for his final quarter. The four-year-old gobbled up real estate through the stretch, showing why the Woodbine faithful had hammered him down to favourite status.
The race was there for the taking in the final eighteenth of the mile, as five horses had legitimate shots at the wire. In the final strides, with each of the equine competitors giving it their all, the proverbial blanket came out to play, as four horses were right there as the photo finish camera snapped away to determine the victor in the blur of horseflesh.
When all was said and done, the camera determined that the four horses in the photo were merely nostrils apart.
Christoforou, who knows the Woodbine wire as well as anyone, got West Side Story up for the nose victory in 1:55.3. Every inch of the horse’s :28.3 closing panel – the fastest in the field – proved to be a factor.
Lets Leavem (driven by Randy Waples) finished second, while Flight Of The Kiwi (Mario Baillargeon) got up for third. Our Mojo (Mike Saftic) was also a nose short in fourth, while Mego Moss (Phil Hudon) finished fifth, a mere one and three quarter lengths behind West Side Story.
West Side Story, who is trained by Per Henriksen, is owned by Steve Organ (of Aurora, Ont.) and Asa Farm (Norwood, Ont.).
To view the harness racing results for Saturday at Woodbine, click the following link: Saturday Results – Woodbine Racetrack.