Osceola unleashed a career-best 1:50.3 mile to take the featured $30,000 upper-level conditioned trot on Sunday, June 7 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Doug McNair activated the stallion from the three-hole but allowed Ghostly Casper (Mark MacDonald) and Gaines Hanover (Jody Jamieson) to forge ahead as they raced into the first turn. Third to a :26.4 quarter, Osceola glided to the lead on the backstretch and reached the half in :54.3 on the engine, then edged away from the chasing Ghostly Casper and Gaines Hanover to three-quarters in 1:22.3. Osceola carried a 2-1/2-length lead to the eighth pole when Gaines Hanover began to fire, reeling in the pacesetter to the wire. The gap was reduced to a head, but Osceola hit the line in time for his third win of the year in seven starts. Ghostly Casper held third.
Osceola booked his 19th career victory in his 67th appearance, raising his earnings to $826,874. The son of Muscle Mass-Armbro Exquisite equalled his previous mark of 1:51.1 with his win two starts back, then lowered it by three-fifths of a second on Sunday. Gregg McNair conditions the six-year-old and co-owns him with Willow Oak Racing LLC of Rogersville, Tenn. and Paul Hawman of Collingwood, Ont. The winner returned $3.30.
Another veteran trotter of Mohawk, Perfetto, was recognized for reaching $1 million in career earnings. The 11-year-old gelding, who hit seven digits with a fifth-place finish on Jan. 18 at Mohawk, won Sunday's fifth race in 1:53.4 and was presented with a placard in the winner's circle. He is 37-for-183 lifetime with 10 wins in the Mohawk Preferred.
To view Sunday’s harness racing results, click the following link: Sunday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
(Standardbred Canada)