With seven different winners over the course of two weeks at Woodbine Racetrack, the General Brock Trotting Series for four-year-olds has been anything but predictable.
That makes the $56,000 final -- which is to be contested Thursday, March 5 -- something of a headscratcher for handicappers. The morning line oddsmaker has put its faith in a feisty filly named Frenchfrysnvinegar, rating her the 5-2 favourite based on a gutsy front-end win in the series second leg last week.
The only femme in the final, Frenchfrysnvinegar has been finding her stride as a four-year-old, with three wins and a second in seven starts so far this year for trainer and co-owner Dave Smith of Rockwood, Ont. On Thursday night, she’ll have the benefit of being steered by the un-bruised Luc Ouellette, one of the few in the Woodbine driving colony who emerged unscathed from Monday night’s chain-reaction accident in the Ontario Boys final. But her post position (8) might be a challenge to her front-running style.
Bettors might also get good value from the triple entry of conditioner Ira Fisher, who are collectively rated at 7-2. Hp Forte, Save My Ashes, and Minor Supernover each captured a division of the General Brock series opener, but none of the three colts was able to repeat last week.
Of the three, Save My Ashes, a $190,000 yearling purchase, has the most impressive record, with earnings verging on $100,000. He’ll be leaving from Post 4, with Hp Forte on his inside and Minor Supernover in Post 5.
The General Brock final has been carded as Race 6, with an estimated post time of 9:05 p.m.
(WEG)