Need To Breathe looked every bit the 1-5 favourite as she dominated the distaffers at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Friday night (Jan. 13) to win the third straight edition of the $30,000 Fillies & Mares Preferred 2 Pace.
Hustled off the gate from post five, Need To Breathe assumed command and cruised through fractions of :28.1, :57.1 and 1:25.4 before sprinting away from her five foes by 4-1/2 lengths with a :26.4 final quarter. The Riggins-Christie Hanover mare stopped the clock in 1:52.3 for the mother-son team of trainer Jodie Cullen and driver Travis Cullen. Dabarndawgswatchin (Louis-Philippe Roy) closed from the backfield for second, finishing just ahead of the winner's stablemate, Snow Shark (Ed Hensley).
Following back-to-back wins, Need To Breathe returned $2.70 as the bettors' choice.
The Indiana Sire Stakes champion joined the Cullen stable last fall and is owned by A1stable of Dundas, Ont., Paul Sanders of Surrey, B.C., and Blair Kidd of Miniota, Man. The four-year-old mare hit the $300,000 mark in career earnings and has now won 11 times, with 15 other top three finishes from 35 starts.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.