After earning her first two Open wins by less than a length in recent weeks, Angostura Hanover was the clear winner in foggy conditions during the Friday, March 6 edition of the $40,000 top distaff pace at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Heavy fog in the Campbellville area caused a break in the 11-race program leading up to the eighth race, but racing resumed after the short delay and a half-dozen Open pacing mares headed behind the starting gate for the ninth race feature.
Partnered with driver Bob McClure for each of her Open wins, Angostura Hanover took command from :27.1 first-quarter leader So Much More (Doug McNair) at the half-mile mark in :55.4 and raced in front to three-quarters in 1:25. She was clear on top through the stretch and won by 1-1/2-lengths in 1:52 over the 'good' track. A $2 win ticket on the 5-2 second choice paid $7.90. So Much More held off the 2-5 favourite, Absolution (James MacDonald), in the race for place.
Trained by Kyle Fellows, Angostura Hanover is currently the richest pacing mare this year in Canada with $88,600 banked in purses from eight races. The Betting Line-Armbro Amoretto mare, who has launched her six-year-old campaign with wins in half of her seasonal starts, is owned by Dr. Peter Johnston of Cavan Monaghan, Ont., and Craig Watkins of Newcastle, Ont. She now boasts 20 career victories and a lifetime bankroll totalling $487,792.
Lets N Joy N ($3.20) also kept the good times rolling for her connections earlier on the program as she earned her sixth win in as many starts since arriving in North America. The four-year-old Bettors Delight-Rock N Joy mare, who won the Blizzard Series in January, dropped more than one full second off her lifetime mark in a $26,000 high-end fillies and mares conditioned pace with an impressive 1:52 mile of her own for trainer Jacques Dupont and owner Ecurie Csl of Sorel-Tracy, Que.
James MacDonald drove the 3-5 favourite, who advanced first-up from the four-hole in the final turn and blitzed home in :25.4 to finish two lengths in front of a pair of photo finishers, as Avyanna (Doug McNair) edged out Coco Jo Jo (Louis-Philippe Roy) for second when they swarmed pacesetter Western Wish (J.R. Plante) in the stretch.
In other Friday night action, Caviar N Crackers ($12.10), a 2025 O'Brien Award finalist owned by trainer Ashleigh Hensley and driver Ed Hensley, earned her first win of the season in 1:52.4 with a :26 kicker after a eight-week layoff. The six-year-old daughter of Captive Audience and Crackers Hot Shot overtook late leader and 1-2 favourite Century Jamila (Louis-Philippe Roy), who was dropping from the Open into the $22,000 conditioned event for distaffers.
Prince Edward Island trainer Bill Lanigan's 2025 Atlantic Breeders Crown champion Badgirl Bridgette ($8.90) made her season's debut a winning one, taking a $16,000 fillies and mares conditioned optional claiming pace in a career-best 1:53.2. Conditioned by Bo Ford for her first Ontario start and driven by Louis-Philippe Roy, the four-year-old mare by Stonebridge Terror out of Whatabadgirl is now 21-for-26 in her career.
In a conditioned Pop-Up event, Kellina Diamond ($5.30) and driver J.R. Plante doubled up in the series as they won the $25,000 final in 1:53.4 by two lengths over the favoured second-leg winner from the Dupont stable, Seaclusion N (James MacDonald). Carmen Auciello trains the seven-year-old Sweet Lou-Classy Beach mare, who is owned by Daniel Sarafian, Unionville, Ont. The series was for female pacers who have started for a purse of $10,000 or less in 2026, with winners over $50,000 in 2025 and $15,000 in 2026 not eligible.
To view Friday's complete harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
(Standardbred Canada)