The Girls' Night Out Pacing Series continued on Friday night at Mohawk Racetrack with two $18,000 divisions going to Hat Trick Honey and repeat winner Ferrari Sena.
Hat Trick Honey split horses late to take the first division. Jody Jamieson guided the six-year-old mare to the one and a half length victory over Mia Seelster (Mario Baillargeon) for trainer Jim Ritchie and owners Stuart and Patricia Bolender of Elora, Ont. in 1:53 over a track listed as "good." Jonsie Jones (Rick Zeron) made a late bid, finishing third, beaten one and three-quarter lengths.
Hat Trick Honey sat second behind early leader and favourite Cams Van Go (Doug McNair), who hit the quarter in :27.1, and St Lads Pepper (:55, 1:23.4). Into the lane, with rivals making live first-over and second-over bids, the daughter of Million Dollar Cam appeared to lack racing room. By mid-stretch, a hole opened and she erupted, pacing home a strong :28.4 final quarter for her first win of the campaign.
The win was her 12th lifetime and lifted her overall earnings to $188,915.
She paid $7.50 as the bettors’ second choice.
In the second division, odds-on favourite Ferrari Sena put herself in position to sweep the three-race series with a one and three-quarter length score over Smartygirl (Doug McNair). Cards That Count (Anthony MacDonald) finished four lengths behind in third.
Sylvain Filion drove Serge Nadeau’s five-year-old Bolero Master mare to her fourth win of the year and third in her last four starts for trainer Richard Moreau.
Cards That Count took a brief early lead (:27.1), but was quickly overtaken by Smartygirl (:56, 1:24), who held a five length advantage deep into the home stretch. Ferrari Sena rallied onto the scene only very late, but did so powerfully to score in 1:52.3.
She paid $2.90 to win.
The 19-time career winner now has $111,311 banked in purses.
Ferrari Sena becomes the heavy favourite to take the $40,000 final of the Girls' Nite Out, for older pacing mares, next Friday, August 9.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Mohawk Racetrack.
(With files from WEG)