San Pail Is Back!

San Pail, the reigning Horse of the Year in both Canada and the U.S., was victorious in his seasonal debut in the $50,000 opening leg of the Glorys Comet Trotting Series at Woodbine Racetrack on Saturday

night.

In winning his eight-year-old debut, San Pail also reached significant career milestones. He earned his 50th win and pushed his lifetime earnings over the $3 million mark for Dunsford trainer Rod Hughes, who shares ownership with his wife Emily as part of the Hughes Stable and breeder Glenn Van Camp of Port Perry.

Driven by regular reinsman Randy Waples, the defending Glorys Comet champion and slight favourite got away second from Post 5 in the field of nine while Windsong Geant and Rick Zeron fired off a :26.3 opening quarter. San Pail quickly stepped around that rival before being confronted by second choice Mister Herbie and Jody Jamieson down the backstretch.

Mister Herbie, carrying an eight-race win streak into the race, cleared to command at the :55.4 half-mile mark and reached three-quarters in 1:24.3.

As the trotters rounded the final turn, San Pail edged to the outside and then surged past the leader down the stretch to score in 1:52.1. The time of the mile was the fastest yet this year in North America for an aged trotter. Mister Herbie finished two and a quarter lengths behind in second and Windsong Geant rounded out the top three finishers. San Pail paid $4.50 to win.

Following the race, the popular trotter returned to the winner's circle in front of a cheering crowd of fans decked out in black representing his saddle pad colour.

“I was a little surprise by tonight’s effort because you would think he’d need a start or two and if he gets beat that’s the time," commented Waples. "Tonight, he did it all on his own.”

“To be honest, I thought he needed a start,” agreed Hughes. “He was pretty aggressive warming up and again in the post parade, so that kind of told me that he was going to be in the mix of things in the early going. Then when Randy pulled him kind of early at the top of the stretch, I knew he had a lot of trot left. ”

Carrying over his own win streak from last year, San Pail has now won eight races in a row. Last year, the trotting titan won 14 of 16 races while banking over $1.2 million. Among his biggest accomplishments were sweeping the Glorys Comet Series, earning his third straight Maple Leaf Trot title, and winning the Nat Ray, Credit Winner, Allerage, and Breeders Crown. The San Pellegrino-Village Beauty gelding was also named Equine Canada's Canadian Bred Horse of the Year.

The Glorys Comet Trotting Series continues next Saturday, March 31.

To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Woodbine Racetrack.

(With quotes from WEG)