Donna Soprano bounces back big in Simcoe

Donna Soprano scored a harness racing victory in the $160,260 Simcoe Stakes on Friday at Woodbine Mohawk Park – a rebound effort after her break in the Casual Breeze last week.

The sophomore daughter of Donato Hanover, leaving from post three, beat the inside two off the car but ceded position to a group of leaving foes on her outside. She settled into the three-hole as one opponent broke, and driver Bob McClure kept Donna Soprano in position through the :27.1 first quarter mile.

McClure pulled Donna Soprano out on the backstretch simultaneously with favourite Imextraspecial (Trevor Henry), and the former cleared to the top as both circled leader Lady Chaos (Jody Jamieson) while passing the half in :56.1. Donna Soprano held a half-length lead over the looming Amazone Duharas (Louis-Philippe Roy) to three-quarters in 1:25.1 and held that advantage to the finish for a 1:53.3 victory.

Second-place finisher Amazone Duharas was six and a half lengths clear of Imextraspecial, who took third.

DONNA SOPRANO REPLAY

The Determination team of trainer Luc Blais and McClure campaign the filly. She is now seven-for-14 lifetime and has amassed $755,155 in earnings. Her dam, Windsong Soprano, won the Simcoe Stakes in 2009.

Determination captured the other stakes contest on the card as their Drinks At Home broke his maiden in the William Wellwood Memorial Consolation. McClure and Drinks At Home inherited the lead from the off-stride Bar Brawl (Gino Toscani) near the quarter and marched through the next three panels to a 1:57.1 score. Drinks At Home, a freshman Royalty For Life colt, recorded his first victory after six starts. He has been competitive in stakes action, finishing second, third, and fourth in Ontario Sires Stakes Gold contests and fourth in last week’s Wellwood elimination.

DRINKS AT HOME REPLAY

The $1,000,000 Pepsi North America Cup is set for Saturday, Sep. 11 at Woodbine Mohawk Park. First post for the stakes-filled program is set for 6:30 p.m. EDT.

For full race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink