The four fan favourites dominated the opening leg of the Friendship Pacing Series for colts and geldings that are three years old and older and are non-winners of $75,000 in 2011 on Saturday night at Georgian Downs.
Four $12,000 divisions went to Southwind Turbo, Blended Whiskey, Bay Of Shark, and Rock Me Amastreos
.
The streaking Southwind Turbo ($4.20) and driver James MacDonald kicked off the 'Friendship' action with a 1:51.3 score, his 13th lifetime, for trainer Justin Robson and owner Ronald Ash of Desboro, Ont. Fresh off three straight wins at Woodbine Racetrack, the five-year-old Rocknroll Hanover gelding rallied three-wide past the three-quarters mark and scooted away to a three length victory over Straight Shooting and Beautiful Soul. His earnings climbed to $108,709.
Another Woodbine regular, six-year-old Blended Whiskey ($3.90) advanced to the lead after the opening quarter and cruised home to a 1:50.4 score for the father-son trainer-driver duo of Bill and Billy Davis. Amazon Art followed nearly two lengths behind in second and Bare Necessity finished third. The Rambaran gelding, owned by Jeffrey and Debbie Elchuk of Surrey, B.C., notched his 19th career win and lifted his earnings to $325,270.
WEGZ Series champion Bay Of Sharks ($2.40) was a wire-to-wire winner in the next split for driver Paul MacKenzie, trainer Corey Johnson and owner Michael Sergi of Canton, New York. The Cams Card Shark six-year-old stopped the clock in 1:51.3 to record his 18th lifetime win and push his bankroll to $449,347. He reached the wire with a two length winning margin over Dark Prince. Officernagentleman finished third.
The final division went to Arthur Balson trainee Rock Me Amastreos ($2.40) and driver Kyle Balson thanks to a career-best 1:51.3 front-stepping score. The five-year-old son of Astreos, who captured the Preferred 2 Pace at Georgian two starts back, won tonight by two and three-quarter lengths over Natural Habitat and Power Off. The win was his 16th lifetime and bumped his bankroll to $211,570 for owner and breeder David Snowden of Bowmanville, Ont.
Georgian and Kawartha Downs will alternate hosting legs of the series, which continues each Saturday in May and wraps up back at Georgian on Saturday, June 2 with a $40,000 (added) final.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Georgian Downs.