A $22,000 conditioned trot served as feature on the Monday (June 8) program at Woodbine Mohawk Park, with Validus ripping off cover and rocketing to a victory with driver Todd Ratchford.
Nine trotters who were non-winners of three of $50,000 lifetime went to the gate with Validus leaving from post seven as the 3-1 second choice. With a host of leavers off the wings, Validus looked to tuck in fifth on the first turn while Toss Of The Dice (Mark MacDonald) trotted around Fifefliesnthunder (Doug McNair) to trip the timer at the quarter in a hot :27. Toss Of The Dice cleared before releasing Thor B Good (Jonathan Drury) to the lead as the field raced to the half in :56.2.
Validus was shuffled to seventh before being able to slip off the cones and joining the outer-flow, trotting third-over in sixth with Thor B Good under fire from a first-over In The Black (Jody Jamieson) at three-quarters in 1:25.1.
Thor B Good turned away In The Black at the top of the stretch before L P Bay (Travis Henry) tipped from second-over with Validus towering up off his back. Sprinting home in :27.1, Validus gobbled up ground once fed racetrack, blitzing home two lengths clear on the line in 1:53.1. L P Bay held for second over a late-charging Ultra Myles (Trevor Henry).
Roy Jeffries trains Validus, who has won back-to-back and four of 20 on the season. The homebred daughter of Green Manalishi S-Amoreena has banked $95,310 for owner Debra Jeffries of Campbellville, Ont.
To view Monday's harness racing results, click the following link: Monday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
(Standardbred Canada)