Fresh off a win in last week's elimination, Up Front Annika and driver John Campbell coasted to victory in the $616,000 Goldsmith Maid Final for two-year-old trotting fillies tonight at Woodbine Racetrack.
As Highscore Kemp (Tim Tetrick) and his stablemate Gift Card (James Morrill, Jr.) made early miscues, Yursa Hanover (Mario Baillargeon) shot off the gate, but it was Up Front Annika who grabbed the lead before reaching the first quarter pole in :28.1.
The Andover Hall miss posted the following panels of :58.1 and 1:28.1 before kicking away by two lengths in the stretch. The post time favourite, coasted to victory in 1:57.1.
Up Front Annika - Goldsmith Maid Final
Yursa Hanover stayed for second and Musical Mystery (Mike Lachance) kicked off cover and with a late rush nabbed the show spot.
"At the half, she felt strong, but you never know what's coming at you from behind," driver John Campbell told WEG Media after the win. "You never want to get too far ahead of yourself. But she felt good there and I knew she was going to trot home by the way she felt.
"I would absolutely like to drive this filly again," Campbell added. "She's a real good filly. Two-year-old trotting fillies can be a little unpredictable, but she's very professional. Once you get her behind the gate she just does her work."
Up Front Annika is trained by Kelly O'Donnell for owners Ed Mullinax of Amherst, Ohio and Murray Brown of Hanover, Pennsylvania. The bay filly improved her record to 4-2-1 in nine starts and lifted her bankroll to $408,081.
To view Saturday's results, click here.
(Photo courtesy of New Image Media)