Following a lengthy inquiry focused on interference in the first turn, runner-up finisher Lasting Dream assumed the top spot with the disqualification of 4-5 winner R Dutchess in the $375,000 Elegantimage Stakes (Grade 1) for three-year-old trotting fillies on Saturday, Sept. 20 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Louis-Philippe Roy fired Lasting Dream out of post 10 and barrelled forward with R Dutchess sprinting to her inside approaching the first turn for Tim Tetrick. R Dutchess, sandwiched between Global Heritage (Dexter Dunn) to her inside and Lasting Dream trying to cross to the outside, reached for a slot at the pylons in tight quarters and touched her wheel against Global Heritage, causing that rival to lose stride. R Dutchess nonetheless settled into fourth with Lasting Dream nestling ahead in third.
R Charm (Scott Zeron) found smooth sailing to push for the lead into a :27 first quarter but soon relinquished control to Highlandstarburst (Yannick Gingras) moving for the backstretch. R Dutchess abandoned her seat in fourth and brushed forward to take the lead heading to a :56.3 half. She cruised through the final turn under a snug hold and received a couple whip taps nearing three-quarters in 1:25.
Spinning for home, R Dutchess cruised in the stretch sprint as Lasting Dream advanced through a seam at the inside to finish second best – before the disqualification – by 2-1/2 lengths, trotting her own mile in 1:53.1. Highlandstarburst and Stormont Beautiful (Tyler Borth) finished in a dead-heat for second after placings. The judges placed R Dutchess last in the 11-horse field for interference to Global Heritage in the first turn.
Luc Blais trains Lasting Dream, a filly by Cantab Hall out of the Muscle Hill mare Dream Together, for owner/breeder Determination of Montreal, Que. The filly, who was a runner-up in last year's Mohawk Million, collected her sixth win from 20 starts and has now pocketed $746,656 into her coffers.
Sent off as the 10-1 fourth choice in the betting, she paid $22.80 to win.
To view Saturday's complete harness racing results, click the following link: Saturday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
(With files from Woodbine)