Abby Best mastered the art of winning races in 2010 as noted in her 14-for-32 record, but things started out differently for the pacing mare to begin the 2011 season
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The Angus MacLean kicked off the year going 0-for-3, but she got things back on track when she captured Saturday’s $1,000 featured event at Northside Downs.
Travis MacLean got away second with Abby Best in the five-horse affair while Outstandingbalance chopped out first-half panels of :30 and 1:01. MacLean popped off the rail with Abby Best and accelerated to the lead in the third quarter. She zipped by the third marker in 1:32.2 and used a :30.1 final frame to win by a half-length margin over Woodmere Westerner in 2:02.3. Game Zac was a distant third.
Sent off as the 3-5 favourite, the 10-year-old daughter of Cambest-Armbro Seismic registered the 55th win of her career while pushing her lifetime earnings to $112,784.
Saturday’s program also featured the second leg of the Fillies And Mares Pacing Series.
Euphoria Seelster demolished the foes she faced in the first of the $700 divisions. Dan Lewis’ five-year-old daughter of Modern Art rallied to the lead in the third quarter of the contest for trainer/driver Edgar Jacobs and drew off to win by 11-3/4 lengths over Ammon Darcy in 2:04.1. Out To Pass rounded out the top three in the six-horse tilt.
Sent off as the 2-5 favourite, Euphoria Seelster won for the tenth time in her career while bumping her lifetime earnings to $129,361.
Shes Got Appeal was a three-length winner in the opening leg of the series, and she came back to post a narrow victory in Saturday’s second-leg assignment for owner/trainer/driver Harold Leblanc, Jr. The mare made a three-wide move at the three-quarter pole and used a :30.2 final quarter to post the half-length win over Sarah Catherine in 2:04.4. The show dough was earned by Fern Hill Thunder.
The victory was the 22nd for the seven-year-old daughter of Park Place, who upped her lifetime cash stash to $83,425 in the process.
It was a good day at the office for Myles Heffernan who visited the winner’s circle on four occasions with horses from his own outfit. He rallied Liams Legacy to a 2:09 score in the opener, and clicked later on the card with Carters Star (2:07.3), Cruisinart (2:02) and Chapter (2:03).
To view results for Saturday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Saturday Results – Northside Downs.