Making their 2011 debuts on Saturday at Northside Downs, Fern Hill Thunder and Shes Got Appeal captured a pair of $700 first leg divisions of the Fillies And Mares Pacing Series while star pacing colt Putnams Power won his first assignment of the season in the finale
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First round favourite Fern Hill Thunder went gate-to-wire to score in 2:03.3 by a half length over pocket-sitter Glorias Girl (Myles Heffernan) in the series opener. Euphoria Seelster (Edgar Jacobs) rallied wide from last to finish one length back in third. Trainer Italo Camilli and driver Angelo Camilli co-own the six-year-old Western Paradise-Loud Majority mare, has won 18 races lifetime while banking $21,384.
Shes Got Appeal, the 5-2 second choice in the other division, got away fourth from Post 7 and advanced first over to wear down the favourite and eventual third place finisher Sarah Catherine (Shawn Lynk). The seven-year-old Park Place-Sharp Appeal mare opened up three lengths on the field to score in 2:03 with Papas Little Rose (John Beaton) finishing second. Trainer-driver Harold Leblanc Jr. of New Waterford, N.S. owns the winner of 21 races and $83,110.
In other action, 2010 Maritime Breeders champion Putnams Power made his sophomore debut a winning one with a wire-to-wire score against aged pacers in the 14th race conditioner. Putnams Power stopped the clock in 1:59.4, winning by five and a half lengths over 13-year-old veteran pacer Mitchs Ceilidh (Alex MacNeil) and eight-year-old gelding Petromont (Myles Heffernan). Roddy Hurley drove for trainer Ronald Seymour Jr., who co-owns with Bruce Donovan of Glace Bay, N.S.
Putnams Power won 14 races (including his first 10 starts) and never finished worse than third in 17 outings as a two-year-old. The Force Of Life-Southview Shania colt banked $66,661 in the process.
For results from Saturday's harness racing card, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Northside Downs.