For the third week in a row, trainer Nick Gallucci sent out the winner of the $36,000 Fillies & Mares Preferred Handicap Pace at Woodbine Mohawk Park with Silver Label taking back the crown from her stablemate Prohibition Legal this time out and keeping reigning Horse of the Year Sylvia Hanover at bay for a sub-1:50 victory.
Driver Doug McNair put Silver Label on the lead from post five with Prohibition Legal and Louis-Philippe Roy leaving alongside off the gate and tucking in the pocket before the first turn while second choice Sylvia Hanover settled in third from the outside for Bob McClure. Silver Label led the field of seven distaffers through fractions of :26.4, :55.4 and 1:22.3 with Sylvia Hanover moving first-up at the midway mark and starting to make headway down the backstretch.
As Sylvia Hanover continued to chase after the leader down the homestretch, Prohibition Legal searched for room along the pylons to no avail, getting squeezed out of contention, as Silver Label raced on to victory in 1:49.4. Sylvia Hanover finished one length behind in second, with Angostura Hanover and Trevor Henry edging out So Much More and James MacDonald for third.
Silver Label and Prohibition Legal, who ended up sixth after coming in close quarters with her leading stablemate in the stretch, were the subject of an inquiry. The judges ruled Prohibition Legal did not have sufficient room at the inside down the stretch.
Silver Label, who won her season's debut two starts ago and was runner-up last week to Prohibition Legal, was let go at odds of 7-1 and returned $17.20 to win.
The millionaire five-year-old daughter of Bettors Delight out of Hidden Gem has won half of her 44 career starts for owner/breeder Millar Farms of Stouffville, Ont.
Another Gallucci trainee, This Magic Moment ($3.10) headlined the opening leg of the Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots Series for three-year-old filly pacers on Friday's card, winning the fastest of four $20,000 divisions and taking a new mark of 1:51.2 in rein to MacDonald. A full sister to Prohibition Legal, Millar Farms' homebred filly by Big Jim out of Catch A Wish made just two starts as a rookie and is now undefeated in four sophomore starts. Pasta Delight finished second over Make Out With Me and Resilience.
We Believin (Shadow Play-Hazes Zure Bet) pulled off a 40-1 stunner to kick off the night's Grassroots action, closing widest of all from eighth to nose out Kiss My Cheek, Suntan City and Distant Lover in 1:52.1 despite finishing with broken equipment. McClure drove the maiden-breaking filly for trainer Paul Reid and owner Gary Lance.
Roy teamed up with trainer Luc Blais for a stakes double, scoring with Determination's Collusion Hanover (Bettors Delight-Covfefe) and Greatest Pleasure (Bettors Delight-Twin B Imabeach) in a pair of career-best 1:52 miles for the favoured fillies.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
(Standardbred Canada)