Diamondsbestfriend had no intentions of befriending her seven foes in the Monday (July 13) feature at Woodbine Mohawk Park as the rookie pacing filly wired the field in the $28,000 event for Grassroots Starters.
Driver Jody Jamieson had the Jack Darling trainee revved-up off the wings as Diamondsbestfriend was quickest to the first turn, crossing over in front of Canadian Blondes (Louis-Philippe Roy) to reach the quarter first in :27.1. Jamieson grabbed leather on the backstretch, with Diamondsbestfriend well rated to the halfway point in :57.2 before flipping the switch once more on the far turn, opening up by four lengths on the field at three-quarters in 1:24.3.
Under confident handling in the lane, Diamondsbestfriend coasted to the wire with a :28.1 final stanza to cross the wire 1-3/4 lengths clear in 1:52.4 to break her maiden. Canadian Blondes was second, with the favoured Effective Control (Tyler Jones) finishing third.
The first victory for Diamondsbestfriend came in her second try after a fourth place effort against OSS Grassroots company in her maiden voyage. The daughter of Bulldog Hanover-Yellow Diamond was a $148,611 yearling buy at last fall's Lexington Selected Yearling Sale for the Jack Darling Stables of Cambridge, Ont. Diamondsbestfriend paid $7.10 to win as the 5-2 second choice.
To view Monday's harness racing results, click the following link: Monday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
(Standardbred Canada)