Alberta stakes winner Caviar N Crackers scored her first Fillies & Mares Preferred victory at Woodbine Mohawk Park, prevailing in a win photo with season-debuting O'Brien Award finalist Odds On Platinum while ending Century Jamila's streak in the top distaff class.
Campaign by the husband and wife, driving and training duo of Ed and Ashleigh Hensley, Caviar N Crackers bided her time in fifth place through the first three-quarters in Friday's $36,000 feature before sprinting home in :26.1 to catch the popular pacesetting Odds On Platinum by a head for the 1:50.1 triumph, equalling her lifetime mark.
Louis-Philippe Roy put the millionaire Ian Moore trainee Odds On Platinum on the front in her four-year-old debut and the 6-5 favourite led the field of a half-dozen distaffers through panels of :27.2, :55.1 and 1:23 while Century Jamila, who had won her last four Preferred starts amid a six-win streak, followed tightly in the pocket with Bob McClure catch-driving. Odds On Platinum rebuffed a final turn challenge from Century Jamila's stablemate Blue Pacific and Doug McNair but couldn't hold off the late-closing Caviar N Crackers, who stormed home from third-over and got up just in time for the 7-1 upset. Century Jamila shook loose late to claim third place in the drive to the wire.
Stepping up to the Preferred class for the first time off a late-closing score last week at Mohawk, Caviar N Crackers now sports a seasonal summary reading 2-3-1 from 13 starts with $56,840 already the bank for the Hensleys. She returned $17.80 for the upset win.
The five-year-old daughter of Captive Audience out of former Alberta Horse of the Year Crackers Hot Shot went over the $300,000 mark in career earnings with her 14th lifetime victory.
In other Friday action, a new Pop-Up Series began with a pair of $15,000 divisions, which were won by Lady Get Lucky ($2.90) in 1:53.3 with McNair driving for trainer Chris Matthews and Ladyterra ($2.80) in 1:53 with McClure aboard for conditioner Zachary Carroll.
This series is for pacing fillies and mares that were non-winners of $20,000 or not averaging $1,700 per start in 2025 in a minimum of eight starts. The next leg is scheduled for Friday, May 9 with a $25,000 final the following Friday, May 16.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
(Standardbred Canada)