Grand Circuit mare scores in seasonal debut

Silver Label (Bettors Delight) kicked off her five-year-old harness racing campaign on Friday (May 10) with a narrow victory in the $36,000 Fillies and Mares Preferred Handicap at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

The mare was fastest away as the wings folded but let two horses by to be third at the quarter in :26.1. She was shuffled once more as Dabarndawgswatchin (Tyler Borth) brushed to the front before the half in :54.1, but Doug McNair pulled Silver Label off the pylons and flushed out Tells On A Roll (Travis Cullen) for cover entering the far turn.

Tells On A Roll swept to the front just past three-quarters in 1:22.1 and came into the lane with two lengths on Silver Label, but the latter began to close in mid-stretch. Tells On A Roll, winner of six of seven previous Preferreds, stayed game to the end, but Silver Label headed her under the wire to prevail in 1:50.2.

Tells On A Roll was beaten a head in the photo. Angostura Hanover (Trevor Henry) hustled from third-over and came within a half-length in third.

SILVER LABEL REPLAY

Silver Label is coming off an eight-win season in 2023 in which she earned more than half-a-million dollars. She captured the Lady Liberty in 1:47.3 and the Perfect Sting and placed in the Breeders Crown and Roses Are Red. The five-year-old, a Millar Farms homebred, has now won 21 of her 42 lifetime appearances and has earned $1,379,023 under the guidance of trainer Nick Gallucci.

Also on the card, $225,000 2022 Lexington Select purchase Naturalborn Leader (Bettors Delight) debuted at three in a 1:54.2 victory. The colt closed from fourth to first in a stretch rush to win by a half-length under mild urging for driver James MacDonald.

NATURALBORN LEADER REPLAY

Owners Ryder Henderson Mondillo, Bella Racing, and Barry Spak bought Naturalborn Leader from the 2022 Lexington sale. The sophomore is out of Sakura Hanover, whose progeny have earned more than $3 million. Chantal Mitchell trains the colt.

The next card at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Saturday, May 11 features the SBOA Stakes finals, totaling $526,900 in purses, and a $36,000 Preferred. The first of 12 races will go to post at 7:10 p.m. EDT.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink