Saulsbrook Olympia broke the track record for an older pacing mare at Grand River Raceway with a 1:51.2 mile in a conditioned event on Wednesday, Aug. 27.
She accelerated out of post one to secure a pocket spot courtesy of Settn A Precedent (Samuel Fillion), who got the front and hung out Razzin Jazz (Daryl Thiessen) through a :26.2 first quarter, with Santafes Appetite (Travis Cullen) parked behind her. Those two held position first- and second-over through the half in :54 and onto the backstretch, but they both began to fade at three-quarters in 1:23, leaving it up to Saulsbrook Olympia to go after the pacesetter.
Saulsbrook Olympia angled out at the bottom of the final turn and chased down a game Settn A Precedent, who hung on until the final meters when Saulsbrook Olympia got up by a head for the victory. Fated Fire (Lorne House) was third.
Saulsbrook Olympia knocked a fifth of a second off the previous record set by Charmbo Stormy in June.
The winning mare, trained by Vernon Cochrane, has won five times this year in 24 attempts and took a seasonal mark with the win. The seven-year-old daughter of Big Jim-Racino Star recorded her 34th lifetime score in her 130th start and swelled her earnings to $351,527. Saulsbrook Olympia is owned by Ed Gorc of Sudbury, Ont. She paid $6.10 to win.
Earlier on the card, trainer Grace Marshman earned her first career victory. She sent out new acquisition My Only Sunshine, and the seven-year-old mare won at first asking by 1-3/4 lengths in 1:54.3 in the fourth race with Travis Cullen in the sulky. The win was the third of the season in 26 starts for the daughter of Sunshine Beach-Hat Trick Honey. Marshman made her debut on Sunday at Georgian with Granite Beach, who finished second to a dominant favourite. The Cambellcroft, Ont. resident has a .777 UTRS through two starts.
To view Wednesday’s harness racing results, click the following link: Wednesday Results - Grand River Raceway.
(Standardbred Canada)