Emmetts Buddy returns a winner

Emmetts Buddy (In The Irons) made it a huge day for Western Canada harness racing as the Manitoba-bred returned from a four-month layoff to win the $32,000 Preferred-2 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Regular driver Tyler Borth kept the gelding fourth though the quarter in :27 and half in :54.3 set by Sometime Somewhere (James MacDonald) and Whichwaytothebeach (Sylvain Filion), respectively. Emmetts Bully slid off the cones behind Jabberwocky (Louis-Philippe Roy) approaching three-quarters in 1:23, and those two went after Whichwaytothebeach down the stretch.

Jabberywocky initially left his cover behind while moving up to challenge the leader, but Emmetts Buddy began to fly and met them in deep-stretch. Whichwaytothebeach bowed out late, and Emmetts Buddy eclipsed Jabberwocky at the line to score in a 13-1 upset.

Jabberwocky was second, beaten a neck in the 1:50 mile. Whichwaytothebeach finished third.

EMMETTS BUDDY REPLAY

Emmetts Buddy’s victory came on the same day Shark Week, the first horse to break the 1:50 barrier in Western Canada, ended a four-month layoff and won his 17th straight Preferred at Calgary’s Century Downs. Emmetts Buddy, sired, bred, and reared in Manitoba, shipped to Woodbine Mohawk Park in late 2022 and reached the top of the class ladder in September 2023. He won in 1:49 on Aug. 3, 2023, becoming the first horse from Manitoba to do so. Michael Kwietniowski conditions the five-year-old for owner/breeder Arthur Rey of St. Claude. Emmetts Buddy has now won 20 times in 53 starts and has earned $292,719.

To read about the Canadian-sired Graduate Series on the card, as well as Gias Surreal’s milestone, click here.

Woodbine Mohawk Park will host its next card on Monday, Apr. 15 at 7:10 p.m. EDT.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink