Saulsbrook Victor circles to $42,000 Free For All victory

Sauslbrook Victor (Source Of Pride) flew home in the Saturday (Mar. 4) $42,000 Free For All to defeat a field of Canada’s best open harness racing pacers at Woodbine Mohawk Park in a blanket finish.

The gelding raced the first three-quarters of mile at the back, sitting seventh as Woodmere Stealdeal (Jonathan Drury) set a quarter of :27.2 and Wheels On Fire (Doug McNair) took over to put up middle panels of :56.1 and 1:23.

Austin Sorrie pulled Saulsbrook Victor fourth-over as they moved into the final turn and fanned him widest of all at the top of the lane. Wheels On Fire battled on with first-over challenger American History (Sylvain Filion) down the lane as So Much More hunted them down. Saulsbrook Victor flew latest and fastest and caught both of them on the line to capture the Mohawk top class in 1:50.3.

So Much More was second by a head. Wheels On Fire was a neck beaten in third.

SAULSBROOK VICTOR REPLAY

It was the fourth win of the season for Saulsbrook Victor, who began 2023 with three straight Preferred victories. He has won 14 times and has earned $282,865 in 53 career appearances. Ronald MacDonald trains the five-year-old for Brett MacDonald of Freelton and Brent Maclennan of Charlottetown.

While Saulsbrook Victor was in the high-class spotlight, Southbeath Hanover (Somebeachsomewhere) paced the fastest mile of the evening with a 1:49.4 victory in the third. Despite the -3°C weather, the Shawn Steacy-trained gelding went all the way to miss his career best by two fifths of a second. Hudson Standardbred Stable, David McDonald, and Nancy Malik own the five-year-old that is 11-for-72 lifetime with $216,979 in earnings.

SOUTHBEACH HANOVER REPLAY

Woodbine Mohawk Park continues racing on Monday, Mar. 6 at 7:00 p.m. EST. The 10-race card will feature the first round of the New Holland Trotting Series.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink