Trotter Osceola and pacing mare Powder Play shared the spotlight on Friday night, April 26 at Woodbine Mohawk Park as winners in the third round of the Canadian Sired Graduate Series.
The series for four-year-olds continued with a $25,000 trotting division and a matching pacing mares division.
Multiple Ontario stakes winner Osceola emerged from a four-pack in contention down the stretch to win the third leg of the Canadian Sired Graduate Series for trotters. The son of Muscle Mass-Armbro Exquisite is campaigned by Team McNair -- driver Doug and trainer Gregg, who also co-owns with Willow Oak Ranch and Paul Hawman.
Hasty Bid (James MacDonald) led the short field of five with one gate breaker through fractions of :28.2, :58.4 and 1:27.4 before his three closest rivals swarmed in the stretch. Osceola shook loose and sprinted home in :26.1 off a three-hole trip to prevail by half a length in 1:54.3 over pocket-popping Passarino (Sylvain Filion), with Ghostly Casper (Tyler Borth), winner of the first two trotting legs, edging out Hasty Bid in a show photo.
Joining the series last week in his season's debut, Osceola finished second to Ghostly Casper. Those two were sent off as the 6-5 co-favourites on Friday with Osceola returning $4.50 to win and $2.90 to place. There was no show wagering.
Osceola now has seven career wins with two seconds and five thirds from 27 starts, good for earnings topping the $450,000 mark.
Robert Woodburn's Powder Play (pictured above) was a repeat winner in the pacing mares division, leading all the way in 1:52.2 for driver Jody Jamieson and trainer Meg Crone.
Leaving from post three, Jamieson put Powder Play on the point through a :27.3 quarter then stole a 30-second breather to the half in :57.3. The Sportswriter-Laurels Lea mare remained more than two lengths clear on top through three-quarters in 1:25.4 and kicked home in :26.3 for the 1-1/4-length victory. Mist Amber (Trevor Henry) got up for second over her John Pentland stablemates, pocket-pursuer Ima Doll (Tyler Borth) and Cheesy Smile (Bob McClure).
A runner-up to Talk Curdy To Me in the opening leg, Powder Play bested that favoured foe by a head in round two. Sent off as the 5-1 second choice here, Powder Play returned $12.70 to her backers. Despite pacing a :25 final frame closing from the back of the seven-horse field, 1-5 favourite Talk Curdy To Me (James MacDonald) could only improve to fifth this time out.
Powder Play, who is now five-for-12 this year, has won a dozen races lifetime with nine seconds and three thirds from 40 starts for earnings totalling $171,005.
The third leg of the Graduate Series for male pacers goes on Saturday, April 27 to wrap up the preliminary rounds with the $75,000 added finals set for Saturday, May 4.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
(Standardbred Canada)