Ellamony Stakes winner To Helen Back returned to the Open ranks at Mohawk Racetrack on Friday night and held off the late-closing Blissful Smile to win the featured $38,000 event for fillies and mares
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A Ps Money Maker (Rick Zeron) showed early gate speed quickly taking control of the field of five but To Helen Back set her sights on the front and after being parked to the first quarter in :27 she took over. With Mike Saftic in the sulky, the John Pentland trainee proceeded to the half-mile marker in :55.4 and three-quarters in 1:24.4 while a trailing Go Get Her (Randy Waples) launched her first over attack with Blissful Smile (Chris Christoforou) following her cover.
As To Helen Back entered the stretch, Blissful Smile went wide and began to close in on the leader but To Helen Back got to the wire just in time to notch her third victory of the season and pick up her 14th cheque in 15 starts. The time of the mile was a season’s-best 1:52 for To Helen Back. Blissful Smile finished a neck behind and A Ps Money Maker rounded out the top three.
To Helen Back paid $4.40 to win as the 6-5 favourite in the field. The seven-year-old daughter of Astreos-Rocket Science watched her earnings climb to $175,440 for 2010 and $1,325,345 lifetime for owners Mike and Anne Shunock of Dorchester, ON.
To view Friday’s results, click here.