Grand River Raceway’s track record for older trotting mares now belongs to Gostreet, who toured the Elora
oval in a time of 1:57.4 on Tuesday evening for trainer/driver Lyle MacArthur.
The record-setting performance erased the former mark of 1:58.1 set by Jayport Sweetheart on June 3, 2008. The effort also goes down as the nation’s fastest mile of the season for an older trotting mare on a half-mile track. The clocking was two-fifths of a second quicker than the 1:58.1 performance turned in by Royal Missy at Flamboro Downs back on March 19.
Gostreet, who was recently featured in the Fergus-Elora News Express, settled into the four-hole in the early going while Celtic Merchant threw down panels of :29.1 and :59.3. MacArthur had the five-year-old Angus Hall – Rose Street miss out and rolling at the mid-way point, and she seized the lead shortly after the field entered the backstretch for the second time.
She hung up a three-quarter clocking of 1:28.3 before finishing off eight square-gaited foes with a :29.1 final frame en route to the 1:57.4 decision. Runner-up Oaklea Nolan was more than seven lengths behind the winner, with Cinder Lane Chip a well-beaten third.
Linda Wellwood of St. George and Tammy Aspden of Caistor Centre, ON share ownership on the photogenic performer, who has blossomed into a very useful campaigner this season. After going 2-for-25 last year, she has already managed to make her way to victory lane in nine of her 14 starts in 2009. She has banked more than $151,000 to date.
To view Tuesday’s results, click here.