Two-year-old pacing filly Malabrigo continued her undefeated win streak as Atlantic Sires Stakes action moved to Inverness Raceway on Wednesday evening
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In the first of two $9,020 Atlantic Sires Stakes 'A' divisions for freshman pacing fillies, Malabrigo and trainer-driver Marc Campbell took command of the seven-horse field from post position two and carved out fractions of :30, 1:00 and 1:31.1 before facing pressure from the pocket-pulling J J Maywest and Terry Gallant in the stretch. Malabrigo was able to hang on for the 2:00.3 triumph by a neck over her late challenger. Pictonian Amanda and Mike Stevenson journeyed first over to show.
Malabrigo paid $3.60 to win as the fan favourite. The daughter of Western Paradise-Lots Abunny, purchased for $11,500 from the Nova Scotia Provincial Exhition sale by Greenoaks Farm of Mississauga, Ont., is now undefeated in four stakes starts and boasts $15,193 in earnings.
Overlooked by the betting public, 22-1 longshot Elm Grove Girlzone scored a seven length victory in the second ‘A’ division. Also leaving from post position two, the Coastocoast Yankee-Elm Grove Lifeline miss cruised past fractions of :30.3, 1:00.3 and 1:31.3 without facing any serious challengers. Elm Grove Girlzone extended her lead in the stretch and hit the wire in 2:01.3. Abovethenorm and James Whelan finished second with Bettim Theresa and Ryan Campbell third.
Elm Grove Girlzone returned $46.60 for the upset. The David Rose trainee is now two-for-four in her career and has yet to finish off the board. She was a $1,000 Atlantic Classic sale purchase for owner Jean Baptiste Turbide of Havre-Aux-Maisons, Que. Elm Grove Girlzone more than doubled her bankroll to $7,711 while taking a new lifetime mark.
Earlier on the card, West River Willow and Bossy Flossy broke their maidens in a pair of $2,500 ‘B’ divisions.
With Kenneth MacDonald in the bike, West River Willow ($3.30) won the first ‘B’ division with a 2:06.1 front end effort for trainer Clare MacDonald, who also co-owns with breeder Rinaldo MacDonald of Antigonish, N.S. The daughter of Astronomical-Shirley Gram now sports one win and two seconds on her five-race record.
Bossy Flossy ($7) and driver Marc Campbell journeyed first over to capture the second split in 2:06 for trainer and owner Jeff Lilley. The homebred Sea Gull Hershey-Laundromatt filly also picked up her first win while making her fifth start.
For results from Wednesday’s harness racing card, click on the following link: Wednesday Results – Inverness Raceway.