One race, two maidens broken

Brave Chic (Royal Mattjesty) and trainer Joseph Montour both picked up their first career harness racing victories as the filly went wire-to-wire at Hiawatha Horse Park on Saturday (Sep. 9).

Brave Chic, who was previously winless in seven starts, got away well for Scott Wray and headed the field to the quarter in :29.3. She was unhurried through middle panels of 1:01.1 and 1:30.1, and she held off the pocket-riding Scottish Noble (Robert Doyle) by a neck to score in 1:59.2.

Brave Chic and Montour have been partners in their respective rookie seasons. All of the latter’s seven training starts have been with Brave Chic after the Ohsweken resident bought her on Jul. 11. The filly was well-beaten at other tracks several times but finished second at Hiawatha on Sep. 2. The three-year-old filly is now one-for-eight with $4,160 in earnings.

Also on the card, Monteverdi (Cantab Hall) blew by three horses down the stretch to take the featured Preferred-3 Trot. Driven by Natasha Day, the gelding won by a length in 1:58.2 over Global News (Garrett Rooney) and Workinitonbroadway (Don Rankin). Monteverdi reached a quarter-century of wins with the tally. He has earned $285,178 in 214 lifetime starts. Jeff Graham trains the nine-year-old for Karry Howard of Wardsville.

Hiawatha Horse Park will hold its penultimate card of the season on Saturday, Sep. 16.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink