R Liza used the pocket ride to victory in Monday evening's $140,000 first Gold Series leg of the Ontario Sires Stakes for sophomore trotting fillies at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
As O'Brien Award winner Willys Home Run (James MacDonald) and Kinnder Hotblood (Chris Christoforou) battled through the opening turn, R Liza (Jody Jamieson) got away third. Kinnder Hotblood went off stride, leaving R Liza to fill in the pocket spot behind the favoured Willys Home Run. The top two maintained position unchallenged through panels in :27, :56.1 and 1:25.4. Halfway down the stretch, R Liza turned on the accelerators to pass Willys Home Run, handing that filly her first OSS defeat and winning by three-quarters of a length in 1:54.3. P L Rainbow Dash (Bob McClure) completed the top three.
R Liza (Muscle Mass-Wishimaywishimight) is trained by Susie Kerwood and owned by M And L Of Delaware LLC and Alabama Harness Associate. The filly is a perfect three-for-three in her young sophomore season with a lifetime record of 6-1-0 and $262,357 banked in 11 starts. Coming off a sweep of her SBOA Stakes elimination and the final, she returned $4.40 to win.
Post seven was no problem for Logan Park as the Kyle Fellows student went gate-to-wire to win the $36,000 Preferred Handicap Trot by 2-1/4 lengths in 1:52.4.
Maintaining a 1-1/2-length lead, Logan Park and Doug McNair controlled the tempo through panels In :27.2, :55.4 and 1:24.3 before crossing the wire victorious over Mrmayor Hanover (Jody Jamieson) and Looks Like Moni (James MacDonald).
Outofthepark Stable, Reg Higgs and Arpad Szabo co-own the six-year-old Archangel-Rite Outa The Park gelding, who recorded his second win of the year in three starts. In 67 career starts, the O'Brien Award-winning trotter has posted a record of 26-9-4 to go along with $1,114,192 earned. As the bettors' choice, Logan Park returned $2.70 to win.
Carmen Auciello posted a training hat trick on the Monday card with Thatll Be Tiger (Sylvain Filion, $6.10) in 1:50.1, Points North (Jonathan Drury, $13.30) in 1:51 and Rock And Twist (Louis-Philippe Roy, $4.70).
To view Monday's harness racing results, click the following link: Monday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
(Standardbred Canada)