Breewood Gringo played giant killer at Woodbine Racetrack on Thursday evening for trainer/driver Stephen Loughran, who managed to find the chink in the armour of the previously undefeated Parlay
in the $47,200 final of the Tie Silk Trotting Series.
Parlay, who was sent off as the 1-9 favourite, had to settle for the runner-up spot behind the 18-1 upsetter in his quest to find the winner’s circle for the fifth time in his career.
Structure Fire and Jason Brewer fired to the front from post five, and they had the field lined up behind them through sensible fractions of :28 and :57.2. Parlay was allowed to settle into fifth in the early stages of the mile before tipping to the outside at the mid-way point of the mile.
Structure Fire maintained command past the three-quarter pole in 1:27.2, but Parlay was inching closer from first over. Breewood Gringo, who sat a four-hole trip for the first half of the mile, slipped out to catch the favourite’s cover heading into the final turn.
Structure Fire eventually succumbed to the pressure, and that turned the lead over to Parlay. The lead was a short-lived one for the son of Kadabra, who watched Breewood Gringo edge past him en route to posting the win by three-quarters of a length. Parlay managed to hold on for second, while Sir Winston rallied late to pick up third prize.
It was the second win of the season for Breewood Gringo, who lowered his lifetime mark by seven seconds in the process. Loughran of Princeton, ON holds the papers on the three-year-old son of Amigo Hall-Millie Wonka, who watched his lifetime earnings jump to $43,150 with the win.
Breewood Gringo has been staked up to a pair of WEG’s marquee trotting events - the Goodtimes and the Canadian Trotting Classic.
To view Thursday’s results, click here.