After missing the board in last week’s opening leg of the Miss Vera Bars Series, Bad As Leader rebounded and posted an authoritative score in Thursday evening’s $17,000 second leg.
Trevor Henry wasted no time hustling Bad As Leader to the position of command, and once she made the motor she never looked back. She sliced out panels of :29, :58.2 and 1:27.3 before sprinting home in :28.1 to win by two lengths over race favourite Windsun Glory. Taking home third prize was Im In Luv.
Victor Puddy trains the three-year-old daughter of Badlands Hanover-Designated Leader for owners/breeders Bill Manes of Rockwood and William Cripps of Acton, Ont. The win was her third of the season from five tries, and her fifth to date. The lion’s share of Thursday night’s triumph pushed her career bankroll close to $50,000.
The $41,600 final of the Miss Vera Bars Series is slated for Friday, February 19 at Woodbine Racetrack.
Driver Phil Hudon continues to keep the pedal to the metal in 2016, and on Thursday evening he reached a career milestone.
The Guelph, Ontario resident entered the card just $769 shy of $50 million in career earnings. In Thursday’s second-race, Hudon guided Charlie Badlands to a third-place finish to surpass the $50 million mark.
Hudon, 41, is currently the leading driver at Woodbine with 27 wins in 2016. Last season, the veteran reinsman notched 156 wins and over $2.3 million in purse earnings. Hudon also surpassed 4,000 career victories in 2015.
This season, Hudon has driven the winners of more than $320,000 in a little over a month of racing action.
(With files from WEG)
To view results for Thursday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Thursday Results – Woodbine Racetrack.