While all eyes were on her streaking stablemate, Century Jamila stole the spotlight in this week's $36,000 Fillies & Mares Preferred Pace on Friday, March 7 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Driven by Louis-Philippe Roy, Century Jamila pulled off a double-digit upset in her Preferred debut for trainer Dave Menary.
Glenboro chased the gate away and quickly crossed to command from the outside post six for driver Travis Cullen. She put up a :29.4 opening quarter with the Menary trainees, Century Jamila and favoured Blue Pacific, following in second and third, respectively.
Doug McNair made a quarter-pole move with Blue Pacific, the leading money-earning mare in Canada this year who had won her last four races. They led the field through middle splits of :58.3 and 1:26.3, but the 3-5 favourite was swarmed in the stretch.
Century Jamila rallied outside while Glenboro shot through inside and those two battled to the wire with the former prevailing by a nose over the latter in 1:53.4 with a :26.3 final frame. Lyons Bettorday and Tyler Jones closed from the back of the pack for third, finishing ahead of Blue Pacific.
Stepping up in class off back-to-back wins last month, Century Jamila was overlooked at odds of 10-1 and returned $22.40 for a $2 win ticket.
The five-year-old daughter of Bettors Delight out of Exotic Pleasure has won half of her eight seasonal starts while earning $57,320 in purses for owner Pollack Racing of Venetia, Pennsylvania. The former Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots champion now boasts 15 career wins from 60 starts and a bankroll of $277,566.
In other action, a new Pop-Up Series began on Friday with the favourites winning a pair of $16,000 divisions for female pacers that were non-winners of $30,000 or not averaging $1,700 per start in 2024 with a minimum of 15 starts.
Ronald Nobes' Charmbo Stormy ($3.90) took a new lifetime mark of 1:53 with a four-length romp in the first division with Roy aboard for trainer Jared Mann while Rick Rier's Coz Im Special ($4.80) took the other division in 1:55 flat for the father and son, training and driving duo of Gregg and Doug McNair.
The series continues next Friday, March 14 and concludes with a $35,000 final on Friday, March 21.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
(Standardbred Canada)