A consistent competitor in the Fillies & Mares Preferred ranks since arriving on the Woodbine Mohawk Park scene late last year, Need To Breathe made bank with another top effort in Friday night's feature, taking the lion's share of the $30,000 purse.
Driver Travis Cullen hustled Need To Breathe off the gate from post seven and touched down on top heading into the first turn, prompting Major League N and Ed Hensley to tip from the two-hole and loop to the lead as they passed the quarter pole in :28.1. Need To Breathe was breathing down Hensley's neck down the backstretch as they passed the half in :57 half and she retook command at three-quarters in 1:25.1 before drawing off for the 1:53.4 victory by 2-1/4 lengths.
Need To Breathe paid $7.20 to win as the 5-2 second choice. Style For A Mile (Doug McNair), the even-money favourite after her Preferred upset last week, got up late to finish second over fellow Richard Moreau trainee Lock Bridge (Louis-Philippe Roy).
Trained by Jodie Cullen, Need To Breathe has now won half of her eight starts this year with four other top-three finishes for seasonal earnings totalling $86,450, making her the top money-earning mare in Canada to date.
Since joining the Cullen stable last fall, the former Indiana Sires Stakes champion has been top three in 14 of her 15 starts, finishing fourth by just a half-length in her only off-the-board placing.
The four-year-old Riggins-Christie Hanover mare is owned by Paul Sanders of Surrey, B.C., A1stable of Dundas, Ont., and Blair Kidd of Miniota, Man.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.