Awesome Hill ($3.40) completed a sweep of the Niagara Pacing Series, for three-year-old fillies, with a 1:53.1 score in Sunday's (Dec. 26) $33,600 final at Woodbine Mohawk Park, giving driver Doug McNair half of his sweep of the Boxing Day card's high-dollar pacing events.
Awesome Hill settled in fourth through a :27.3 first quarter behind early pacesetter Foxy Fiji (Travis Cullen), but as soon as McNair activated her with just over five-eighths to go, she surged clear easily to take charge from Just Daisy — whom Chris Christoforou brushed out of third — at the end of a :56.2 half. There were no breathers for the daughter of Sunshine Beach and Taxi Fare Hanover, as Village Jade (Jody Jamieson) marched first-over out of midfield to engage Awesome Hill through a :28.1 third-quarter duel. Awesome Hill remained resolute under late pressure, driven out to win by 1-1/4 lengths. Bottomoftheninth (Austin Sorrie) fanned off fourth-over cover to just reach second over the third-over State Of Mind (Trevor Henry) and Ahoy (Jonathan Drury), who knifed through at the pegs after being shuffled severely.
Chantal Mitchell trains six-time winner Awesome Hill for owner-breeder Tom Hill.
The co-featured $34,000 Preferred Pace saw Wheels On Fire ($4.00) deliver a decisive 1:52 win, his third against the GTA's best pacers in his last four tries.
McNair was likewise patient early with Wheels On Fire, landing in third through a :12.4 first-furlong split before pulling to seize command from early pacesetter Jimmy Freight (Cullen) just beyond a backed-down :27.3 quarter. Wheels On Fire then coasted uncontested through a :56.2 half and much of the far turn before Uhtred (Jamieson) — who angled first-over from fourth — arrived to apply pressure with five-sixteenths to go. The six-year-old Somebeachsomewhere gelding held his ground well past three-quarters in 1:24.3 and accelerated away from both Uhtred and tiring pocket rival Jimmy Freight turning for home — but he needed every ounce of energy he could muster to outlast a cavalry charge of closers in the final furlong. Champion mare So Much More (James MacDonald) lifted off cover to reach second, three-quarters of a length back, while Beyond Better (Austin Sorrie) just nabbed Cold Creek Cabo (Trevor Henry) for third.
Richard Moreau trains 35-time winner Wheels On Fire for owner Brad Grant.
To view Sunday's complete results, click the following link: Sunday Results – Woodbine Mohawk Park.
3yo Woodmere Stealdeal went
3yo Woodmere Stealdeal went off at 10-1, the highest odds that he's ever raced at in his life, in today's 5th race, but won in 1:52.1, just a tick more than Wheels On Fire's winning time. If he continues to race in January, I think he'll be facing Preferred horses before the end of the month.