Sent the 2-5 favourite, Fast As The Wind ground off the pegs around the final turn and delivered a 1:52.2 blow to win the $251,000 Goodtimes Final on Saturday (June 18) at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Looks Like Moni muscled to the lead with Southwind Domino securing the pocket and Pretender landing in third to a :27.2 first quarter. Fast As The Wind raced fourth as Looks Like Moni maintained his speed up the backside to cruise by the half in :55.1 and race on a loose lead into the final turn. Stablemate Pretender pulled first over off the pegs with Fast As The Wind tracking cover to three-quarters, where Looks Like Moni fumbled his stride and began to gallop.
Pretender took over the lead off the corner with Southwind Domino battling at the pylons and Fast As The Wind ranging to the center of the track. Once given a straight course, Fast As The Wind accelerated clear of his competition while chased by Twin B Archie to stroll to victory in hand. Pretender finished third and Testing Testing rallied from last of the on-gait field to take fourth.
"I was really just trying to get my fella around — he was running in a touch coming off that last turn and I was having to nurse him there," winning driver Dexter Dunn said after the race. "Once Andy [McCarthy]'s one made a break, it got us a little closer to the front there and he laid down like he was been this year."
Fast As The Wind races for owners LeBlanc and Kribbs, Joe Sbrocco and Joseph Barbera and is trained by Tony Alagna. The colt by Cantab Hall nabbed his seventh win from 19 starts and has now accrued $713,227 in earnings while returning a $2.90 mutuel.
As part of the 2022 Pepsi North America Cup undercard, a number of stakes and open class events were contested. Recaps of the evening's other stakes are available below:
- Forbidden Trade Fires In Free For All
- Jimmy Freight Reclaims Gold Cup Crown
- Treacherous Dragon Too Hot In Fan Hanover
- Atlanta Returns To Armbro Flight Glory
- Test Of Faith Fabulous In Roses Are Red
- Pebble Beach Wins 2022 Pepsi North America Cup
For the results from the 2022 Pepsi North America Cup night card of harness racing, click the following link: Saturday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.