After sweeping the City Of London Series, four-year-old pacing mare Sonic Breeze has earned back-to-back wins in the Grey/Huron Stakes to stamp herself as the favourite heading into the finals next weekend
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The daughter of Mach Three earned her second Grey/Huron Stakes win on Saturday night amidst an action-packed card at Hanover Raceway featuring 11 $10,000 divisions. The William Kirkpatrick trainee stopped the clock in 2:01.1 over a sloppy track rated three seconds off. The win was more impressive than the time of the mile suggests as Sonic Breeze had to overcome an ambitious leader that looked to have put her away heading into the stretch. However, driver Mark Williams was able to get enough out of Sonic Breeze to trip the wire and edge out Alexacam and Ryan Holliday.
It’s hard to believe that this mare went winless through her first 10 starts as she has now won a third of her 15 lifetime races with a personal best coming at The Raceway at Western Fair District in the City Of London Series Final on May 25. She has banked over $50,000 for owner-breeder Pamela Loomis.
Elsewhere on the card, several horses were able to sweep the elimination phase of the Grey/Huron Stakes with second leg wins. Driven by Trevor Henry, Rustlemewithenvy won his pacing horse/gelding division in 2:00.2. Maria Flink found another great effort from Call Me Hanover, winning a horse/gelding trot division in 2:05.4. So Sure also managed back-to-back wins with Nick Steward in the bike employing front-end tactics yet again in another horse/gelding trot division. He stopped the clock in 2:06.4. I Wanna Be Geared had Henry in the bike this week and earned his second lifetime win in his horse/gelding pacing split in 2:00.1 by nine lengths. Then in the nightcap event, Macktwowilldew did enough to wire the field in 1:59.4 with Lorne House at the lines, winning by nearly 13 lengths in another horse/gelding pace.
The final horse/gelding trot was won by Oaklea Uptown (2:06). Filly/mare trot winners included Just One Amigo (2:06) and Rompaway Empress (2:05.1) while filly/mare pacing splits went to St Lads Zena (2:01.2) and How Do You Sleep (2:03.3).
The Grey/Huron Stakes is for Ontario sired four-year-olds and younger that are non-winners of $5,000 lifetime as of midnight April 25, 2012. The male divisions will wrap up back at Clinton on Sunday, June 17 while the females will face off in their finals at Hanover on Saturday, June 16. Fans at the finals will have the chance to win either a Huron County or Grey County Getaway including two nights accommodation, golf and a dinner VIP package at each track.
Next Saturday, Hanover Raceway plays host to the Ontario Sires Stakes as three-year-old filly pacers hit the track. Hanover will also feature its annual Trevor Breadner Memorial Pace. The Flesherton area native was a longtime fan at Hanover and passed away after a battle with Cancer. Post time at Hanover Raceway is 7:15 p.m.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Hanover Raceway.
(With files from Hanover Raceway)