10-1 upset in star-studded Preferred

Dabarndawgswatchin (Hes Watching) beat several of Canada’s elite harness racing pacing distaffs in a tight $36,000 Fillies and Mare Preferred at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Saturday (Nov. 23).

Trevor Henry dropped her into the pocket as former O’Brien Award recipient Prohibition Legal (Jody Jamieson) cut a first quarter of :26.1. Tells On A Roll (Travis Cullen), a 10-time top-class winner this year, swept to the front on the backstretch and led through the half of :55.2.

Dabarndawgswatchin catapulted out of the three-hole on the final turn and put her head in front at three-quarters in 1:23.4. She seized command early in the stretch, but two-time O’Brien winner Silver Label loomed in behind and Prohibition Legal weaved through traffic. Those two champions closed on either side of the leader, with Silver Label surging late, but Dabarndawgswatchin hung on by a nose for the 1:51.1 victory.

Silver Label was second with Prohibition Legal a clear third.

DABARNDAWGSWATCHIN REPLAY

Dabarndawgswatchin’s win was her 10^th at the Preferred level and 25th overall lifetime. The Dave Menary-trained mare was returning home after a ninth-place finish in the Breeders Crown. The six-year-old has earned $735,460 in 110 career outings. Julie Ferguson of Greely owns her.

James MacDonald swept the evening’s Harvest Series Finals. In the three-year-old male trot, he pulled Stony Burke (Muscle Mass) out for a backstretch brush and took over for good. The colt kicked away in the stretch and sailed to victory by a length in 1:57.1 over the late-closing Market Banker (Chris Christoforou). Major Bank (Trevor Henry) was third in a three-across finish.

STONY BURKE REPLAY

Stony Burke is four-for-15 this season after an eight-start winless rookie campaign. The colt, conditioned by Julie Walker, has earned $108,468. She co-owns him with Nancy Holmes, Yvon Parmentier, and 1035840 Ontario Inc.

Odds-on favourite Brudon (Mcwicked) secured a series sweep as he motored late in the sophomore pacing gelding event. Second-over on the final turn, the gelding treaded water until igniting in the last 1/16th of a mile, when he picked past four foes to score in 1:52.4. Lotto Max (Doug McNair) took the place spot, followed by Brightside Maseo (Jamieson).

BRUDON REPLAY

Brudon’s perfect series gave him his first three wins after starting the season 0-for-16. He is trained by Carmen Auciello for owners Frank Lamacchia, Tony Miceli, and Deanmar Sons Stable. The gelding has earned $57,837 and won four times in 30 career appearances.

Borth won three races on the card.

Racing will resume at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Monday, Nov. 25 at 7:10 p.m. EST.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink