After sweeping her preliminaries with a pair of late pushes to the fore, Superlative ($8.90) once again emerged on the scene a sixteenth from home to take the $14,400 final of the Sharpes Feed Series for fillies and mares on Tuesday (July 10) at Georgian Downs.
As in both preliminaries, the three-year-old daughter of Holiday Road settled worse than midfield in the initial stages while Arabellas Cadet (Mark Etsell) worked to control a :29.2 first quarter. With nine-sixteenths to go, Stephen Byron angled Superlative off the pegs into a dull third-over position, and her 8-1/2 length deficit through a :58.4 half seemed insurmountable.
As the field approached the far turn and as odds-on favourite Miss Jubilee Hill (Scott Young) made her move out of an inherited third with five-sixteenths to go, Superlative seemingly found another gear, mowing down the front flight and circling three-wide off the home turn to score by half a length in a lifetime best 1:57. Miss Jubilee Hill was a game second, while pacesetter Arabellas Cadet finished 2-1/2 lengths farther back in third.
Trainer Robert Walker Jr. shares ownership of Superlative with Brilo Farms and A J Cachia Sales Ltd. After an early break in stride tarnished her career debut at Woodbine Mohawk Park, Superlative has since won three straight, all over the Innisfil oval.
In the sub-featured $10,500 Preferred 2 Handicap for pacing mares, Outlaw Imahotvixen ($13.80) returned to her winning ways with a 1:54.4 score from the pocket. The four-year-old daughter of Blue Burner stalked duelling leaders Pretty Hot (Jason Ryan) and Buttermilk Hanover (Robert Shepherd) — second and third respectively in the end — through the middle half before Travis Cullen urged her through a seam up the pegs to prevail by a neck.
Trainer Jodie Cullen co-owns 10-time winner Outlaw Imahotvixen, who has won three of her last five races, with Ron Cullen.
To view Tuesday's harness racing results, click the following link: Tuesday Results – Georgian Downs.