Distaffers did battle in a set of $7,500 Fillies & Mares Preferred 3 events Wednesday at Grand River Raceway, with Katherine B and Rain Cloud Hanover winning their respective assignments in gate-to-wire fashion.
Katherine B was hustled to the lead from Post 1 by driver Brad Forward, and together they led the field through fractions of :27.2, :56.2 and 1:25 before using a :29.1 closing quarter to win by a nose over Squeeze This in 1:54.1. Machin Marley was third.
Gord McDonnell trains the seven-year-old daughter of Western Ideal-Easton All for owner Thomas Knight of South Woodslee, Ont. It was the fifth win of the season and the 24th to date for the career winner of $172,856.
Rain Cloud Hanover went to the front and didn’t look back in her Preferred performance for the duo of driver Paul MacKenzie and owner/trainer Chris Nicol of Waterdown, Ont.
The mare shot to the top from Post 4 and laid down fractions of :28.1, :58.1 and 1:27.2 before sprinting home in :28.4 to win by 4-1/4 lengths over Nomatterwhen in 1:56.1. Moremunkybusiness grabbed the show dough.
Sent off as the 2-1 favourite, the five-year-old daughter of Art Major-River Hanover won for the fifth time this season and for the 11th time in her career. The lion’s share of the loot bumped her lifetime earnings to $121,643.
To view results for Wednesday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Wednesday Results – Grand River Raceway.