This year’s Town Pro Series has proved to be a wide-open affair considering four different horses managed to find their way to victory lane in the preliminary legs of the event.
Polk Dot Hanover, who rallied to finish fourth in last week’s opening leg of the series, cruised to an easy win in Friday’s second-leg assignment with driver Rick Zeron in tow. Polk Dot Hanover got away fourth and watched longshots Mystique Beachbum and Graceful Melody take turns on the lead through splits of :27.1, :57.1 and 1:25.2. Happily Ever After made a first-over bid around the final turn, and Polk Dot Hanover stalked that foe from second-over before rallying to the front when she was called on in deep stretch. Her :26.4 closing quarter helped her win by 3-1/2 lengths over Happily Ever After, with third prize going to Mystique Beachbum.
Sent off at odds of 8-5, the three-year-old daughter of Western Ideal-Paling Avenue won for the second time this season for trainer Dave Menary who shares ownership on the three-time winner with Brad Gray of Dundas and Michael Guerriero of Puslinch, Ontario. The filly’s share of the $18,000 purse boosted her bankroll to $51,320.
All eyes were on Major Dancer in the second division, but Brookdale Shadow stole her thunder thanks to a 1:51.4 score for driver Randy Waples. The Shadow Play-Armbro Creole miss got away third while Poppies Pride and A And Gs Delight battled to the quarter pole in :26.3. Once things settled down on the lead, Waples hit the accelerator and hustled Brookdale Shadow to the top. She cleared easily and threw down middle panels of :55.4 and 1:24 before scooting home in :27.4 to win by a half-length margin over the 1-5 favourite, Major Dancer. Third prize was earned by A And Gs Delight.
Dr. Ian Moore trains the photogenic filly for Douglas R. Polley and Douglas E. Polley of Amherst, Nova Scotia. The win was her third of the season – and the eighth to date – for the career winner of $71,324.
The $49,200 final of the Town Pro Series is scheduled for Friday, July 4 at Mohawk Racetrack.
Friday’s undercard also featured a set of Preferred events, with top honours going to American In Paris and Flanagan Memory in their respective events.
American In Paris, who recently shipped in from the U.S. to join forces with trainer Murray Brethour, pulled off an 8-1 upset when she rallied for an impressive victory in the $30,000 Fillies & Mares Preferred. Chris Christoforou engineered the winning trip for the four-year-old daughter of American Ideal-Sendingforth, who defeated Ferrari Sena and Marlee B in 1:50.3.
Doug Millard of Woodstock, Ontario owns the 17-time winner who boasts a career bankroll of $193,309. The triumph improved this year’s record to 7-2-1 from just 12 trips to the track.
Favourite players had their eyes on O’Brien Award winner Mister Herbie in the $34,000 Preferred Trot, but longshot players got the last laugh when O’Brien Award winner Flanagan Memory upset his heavily-favoured foe in a career-best clocking of 1:52.4.
It was an action packed tilt that saw a number of lead changes throughout, but when the dust settled it was Flanagan Memory who prevailed over a traffic-troubled Mister Herbie and Catch The Dream.
Chris Christoforou mapped out the winning trip for the Rene Dion-trained four-year-old son of Kadabra-Classy Stacy, who lifted his lifetime earnings to $473,158 with the victory. Dion shares ownership on the homebred with Liette Flanagan of Repentigny, Quebec. It was the first triumph of the season for the 10-time winner.
To view results for Friday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Friday Results – Mohawk Racetrack.