Speaker Nancy sizzles in Mohawk return

Speaker Nancy set the bar as the nation’s fastest three-year-old harness racing filly on Friday (May 20) as she scored in blistering time in her Woodbine Mohawk Park return.

Co-owner Jamie Copley took over the filly’s training to begin the season and sent her for a crushing debut victory at Rideau Carleton Raceway on May 12 after two sharp qualifiers. Copley and partner Ottawabob Racing Stable reassigned the daughter of Artspeak to the Shayne Barrington barn this week and shipped her to Mohawk Park for a conditioned dash.

Starting from the innermost post, she sat fifth early as quick-leaving rivals flew past her into the first turn. Reinsman James MacDonald quickly put her in play as they passed the quarter mile marker in :27.3 and hurried the filly to the front. They got little time to breathe as Bluemea Kiss (Nick Boyd) rushed up after the field passed the half in :56.1 and forced MacDonald to unleash his charge to three-quarters in 1:24.

Speaker Nancy battled that rival going to three-quarters and kicked away as MacDonald asked for more nearing the eighth pole. Three-to-two second-choice Free To Be Me (Louis-Philippe Roy) uncorked a closing kick but ran out of racetrack, and Speaker Nancy sealed the victory under light urging in 1:51.3.

Free To Be Me had a half length more to make up at the finish. Best Keepsake (Sylvain Filion) collected the show cheque. The win price was $4.80.

Speaker Nancy’s clocking is the fastest of the season for a three-year-old pacing filly in Canada. She sliced a fifth of a second off the target set by Love That Smile a week prior. Speaker Nancy has won three of her 12 career starts but has begun this season two-for-two. She has now earned $64,226 for her connections. She is eligible for the upcoming Simcoe Filly and the Ontario Sires Stakes.

Another promising sophomore filly, Got The Gold, also won her second race of 2022 from two starts. The Ian Moore trainee closed late to win the fourth race in 1:54 while in line to Roy. Got The Gold, a daughter of Bettors Delight, made one start at two but wrapped up her season shortly after. Let It Ride Stables of Boca Raton and James Millier of Cambridge acquired the filly in October 2021. She has now earned $17,500.

Woodbine Mohawk Park’s next card on Saturday, May 21 features four SBOA Stakes finals and a $39,000 Free-for-All Pace.

For full race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink