Four $7,200 divisions of the Prospect Series for three-year-old pacing fillies were contested on Saturday (July 11) at Hiawatha Horse Park with Southwind Bayou once again finding the competition in this series to her liking.
Guided to victory in the first leg at Hanover Raceway by Doug McNair, Southwind Bayou was paired with Marc St. Louis Jr. on this occasion and the result was the same. After clearing to the lead over Twin B Hello (Tyler Borth) through a sharp :27.2 opening panel, St. Louis backed the tempo down but was challenged for the front by longshot Prideinmystride (Garrett Rooney) through a :57.4 half. Southwind Bayou firmly rebuffed that challenge, opening up to a two-length advantage at the 1:26.3 third station that widened on the field with every stride of the final stanza. A :29 closing quarter resulted in a 1:55.3 effort that was five lengths better than runner-up Shes Magic (Scott Coulter) with Prideinmystride staying for third.
Rob Fellows trains Southwind Bayou (Sportswriter - Cozy Beach) for Blair Corbeil of Beaumont, Alta., Yolanda Fellows of Rockwood and Arpad Szabo of Bradford, Ont. The win was the third this season in 11 tries and fourth lifetime, pushing her career earnings to $32,610.
Century Gianna (Bettors Delight - Mary Bits) captured the first Prospect division of the day with a wire-to-wire win in a lifetime best 1:59.2 for driver Scott Young, trainer Bob Young and owners Corbeil, Frank Chiaravalloti of Downsview, Ont., Paul Gazzola and Jaftica II of Guelph, Ont.
On the engine was also the winning move for Satdnite Jukebox (Shadow Play - Jukebox Money) in the third division. Driver Scott Coulter orchestrated the winning trip, a 1:57.1 maiden-breaking score for owner-trainer Anthony Beaton of Waterdown, Ont. and co-owner David Mercer of Sydney, N.S.
Chasethecloudsaway and driver Scott Wray tracked down Count To Three (Rooney) late to win the fourth and final Prospect split in 1:56.3. Gerald Lilley trains and co-owns the daughter of Sunshine Beach - Janns Bid, now a two-time winner in her career, with Fred Naclerio of Blenheim and Alex Lilley of Dutton, Ont.
Georgian Downs hosts the next leg of the Prospect Series on Saturday, August 1.
To view the results from Saturday card of harness racing in Sarnia, click the following link: Saturday Results - Hiawatha Horse Park.