Style For A Mile stole the spotlight in the Friday night feature at Woodbine Mohawk Park, strutting her stuff on the lead in a 1:51.1 mile.
Driven by Doug McNair for trainer Richard Moreau, Style For A Mile fired to the front from post seven in the $24,000 high-end fillies and mares conditioned pace and set first-half fractions of :27 and :56 before fighting off a head-to-head challenge from eventual runner-up Parisian Blue Chip (James MacDonald) past three-quarters in 1:24.2 for the one-length victory. The 5-1 shot paid $13.10 to win. Favourite Intothemysticmoon (Trevor Henry) finished third off a pocket trip.
A four-year-old daughter of Captaintreacherous, Style For A Mile earned her sixth victory of the season from 19 starts and lifted her annual income to $114,150 for owner Brand Grant and Bottom Line Racing. She's doubled her lifetime bankroll with her 2023 earnings and now boasts 11 career wins.
Friday's card included three $16,000 two-year-old races headlined by 1:54.2 debut winner Legendary Hanover, a half-brother to Canadian record holder Linedrive Hanover.
Driver James MacDonald sent the popular colt from fourth to first after a :29.1 opening quarter and rated middle splits of :58.1 and 1:27.1 before drawing off in the stretch to win by 3-1/4 lengths with a :27.1 final frame. Erinwood Bigrig (Jody Jamieson) went first-up from third to finish second over first-quarter leader Twin B Hungergames (Tyler Moore) and Always A Thrill (Bob McClure).
Anthony Beaton trains the Huntsville-Lillian Hanover colt, who was a $260,000 yearling purchased from the Lexington Select Sale, for owners West Wins Stable, Eric Good and Mark Dumain.
Do Better won at first asking in 1:55 flat off a three-hole trip with :26.1 closing speed for trainer Bob McIntosh.
Driven by Sylvain Filion, Do Better out-sprinted pocket-popper Enforcer (Doug McNair) in the stretch for the victory by three-quarters of a length while favourite Minett (Jody Jamieson) finished third after setting fractions of :28.2, :59.1 and 1:28.
The McIntosh homebred is a son of Bettors Delight out of the Mach Three mare West Third Street. His dam is a half-sibling to millionaires Somewhere In L A and L A Delight. Do Better is owned by Robert McIntosh Stables Inc., Al McIntosh Holdings Inc. and Mardon Stables.
The victory in the other two-year-old pace was awarded to the Jack Darling-trained D A Wicked Shine and Jody Jamieson after the judges set back first-place finisher Dandys Pandemic for a lapped on break in the stretch. Finishing just a head behind that rookie in 1:54.3, favourite D A Wicked Shine was bumped to first in his career debut.
At Ease Hanover (Tyler Moore) was third-placed-second ahead of Dandys Pandemic (Louis-Philippe Roy) after those two traded turns on the lead through fractions of :28.3, :57.2 and 1:27. D A Wicked Shine went on the attack from third approaching three-quarters and battled with the pair through the lane.
Jack Darling Stables purchased the McWicked-Vivid Shine gelding for $57,000 as a yearling from the London Classic Sale. His dam is a full-sister to the Grand Circuit stakes-winning stallion Custard The Dragon.
In other action, driver Louis-Philippe Roy swept a couple of $15,000 Pop-Up divisions in round two of the series with the Carmen Auciello trainee Southside Eddy in 1:50.3 and the Ted MacDonnell stable's 1:52.1 repeat winner Stop The Shootin. The series is for non-winners of $20,000 or pacers not averaging $1,250 or less per start in 2023 (with a minimum of 12 starts).
To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.