A pair of series finals – the Valedictory and the Niagara - plus the weekly edition of the Fillies & Mares Preferred highlighted Friday evening’s 11-race card at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Captain Video went to the front and didn’t look back for driver Sylvain Filion in the $35,000 final of the Valedictory Pacing Series.
Filion had the four-year-old son of Captaintreacherous-Eitherurinorurout fired up leaving the starting gate, and in a matter of strides they found themselves on the lead. Once there, the Richard Moreau trainee threw down an opening quarter clocked in :28. He was under attack in the second quarter from race favourite Beyond Better, and together they sprinted through middle fractions of :56 and 1:23.
Beyond Better was no match for Captain Video at the head of the lane, however, and as a result Captain Video used a :28.2 closing quarter to win by 6-1/4 lengths over the 1-5 favourite in a time of 1:51.2. Bee Two Bee was third.
Sent off at odds of 3-1, Captain Video improved his 2021 record to 3-1-1 from six assignments with the win. The 11-time winner, who boasts a bankroll that now stands at $108,235, is owned by 1876472 Ontario Inc, Ecurie CSL, Sam Sergi and Mike Sergi.
Rose Run Victory staked claim to the title in the Niagara Pacing Series thanks to her impressive, come-from-behind tally for Team Hensley.
Ed Hensley landed away sixth with the Ashleigh Hensley trainee, who watched Filter Hanover fire to the lead from Post 9 and then slice out fractions of :28, :57.3 and 1:26.2. Big Myrtle put first-over pressure on the leader around the final turn, and Hensley found himself third-over at that point with Rose Run Victory.
As the field marched into the stretch, Filter Hanover was swarmed by challengers including Rose Run Victory who used a :27.2 final frame to win by three-quarters of a length over Man Dontforget Me in 1:54.2. Filter Hanover wound up third.
Sent off at odds of 1-5, the four-year-old daughter of Shadow Play-J M News Release won for the third time this season from seven assignments. The 10-time winner, who is owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC and Phillip Collura, has stashed away $166,491 in her career.
So Much More made a round trip to victory lane for driver James MacDonald thanks to her gate-to-wire triumph in the $30,000 Fillies & Mares Preferred Handicap.
The five-year-old daughter of Big Jim-Ladysai shot to the top from Post 7 and carved out fractions of :27.3, :55.4 and 1:24.3 before using a :27.1 closing panel to win by 1-1/2 lengths over race favourite Major Occasion A in a sharp clocking of 1:51.4. Rounding out the Trifecta ticket was Ivana Flybye N.
Trainer Don Beatson co-owns So Much More with Kenn Beatson and Cole England. The partners have watched the distaffer rack up a 2-3-0 record in her first six starts of the year while stashing away more than $50,000 in seasonal earnings. The 33-time winner has banked $595,867 to date.
To view results for Friday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Friday Results – Woodbine Mohawk Park.