A group made up of six distaffers lined up behind the starting gate in Tuesday’s $12,600 Fillies & Mares Preferred at Western Fair Raceway, and right from the word “go” the race was all about Sammy Syd
.
Mike Whelan hustled the seven-year-old daughter of Astreos-Quest For Truth to immediate command from her Post 4 perch on the gate, and after zipping through intervals of :28.4, :59.4 and 1:29.1 she was able to seal the deal by using a :30-second final frame to post the one-length score over race favourite Ostinato in a time of 1:59.1. Longshot Stonedust Cammy, who was sent off at odds of 72-1, tagged along to grab the show dough.
Trainer Jean Young co-owns Sammy Syd with Gord Young of London, ON, and together they’ve watched the mare visit the winner’s circle 30 times over the course of her career. Tuesday’s victory pushed her current winning streak to three-in-a-row and the lion’s share of the purse boosted her overall cash stash to $272,992.
Officials from Western Fair Raceway told Trot Insider there were no serious injuries suffered in a spill in the very next race when Innocent Shark and driver Rob Sparling, Jr. went down on the way to the three-quarter pole.
The mare, who was shooting up the rail as the field headed into the clubhouse turn, was interfered with when Cmybest (Russ Morgan, Jr.) veered in on the turn and caught the legs of Innocent Shark with the left wheel of the racebike.
Innocent Shark fell and unseated driver Rob Sparling, Jr. Fortunately, both driver and horse got up on their own power with no serious injuries to report on.
To view results for Tuesday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Tuesday Results – Western Fair Raceway.