Huntress nails another bullseye

Huntress (Huntsville) hit her mark for the fourth time in five harness racing starts and took the top-level Fillies and Mares Preferred for the first time at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Friday (Nov. 17).

She gave way to 2022 O’Brien Award winner So Much More (James MacDonald) at the quarter in :27.2 and sat the pocket to the half in :56.3.

Sylvain Filion tipped Huntress out to attack the leader entering the final turn, and the mare was eye-to-eye with her at three-quarters in 1:24.4. Huntress went to the front at the top of the lane, and she extended the margin to two lengths in deep-stretch despite persistence from So Much More, scoring in 1:51.1.

So Much More reached home in time to keep the place spot over Goudawon (Trevor Henry).

HUNTRESS REPLAY

The victory gave Huntress 30 in 50 lifetime starts and bumped her bankroll up to $229,102. The mare began her career at the Iowa fairs before finding success at Yonkers. Owners Let It Ride Stables of Boca Raton and W.J. Donovan of Delray Beach moved the four-year-old to Woodbine Mohawk Park and trainer Richard Moreau in early October. She is now four-for-five at Canada’s top track.

The card also featured two divisions of the Ontario-sired Harvest Series for three-year-old pacing fillies.

Godiva Shadow Girl (Shadow Play) grabbed the first to complete a sweep of the preliminary legs. She lowered her lifetime mark to 1:53.1 in a one-and-a-half-length win over True That (Doug McNair) and Premier Delight (Jody Jamieson). Moreau conditions the winner for owner/breeder Raymond Larose of St-Henri-De-Levis. The filly has won 10 of 26 lifetime appearances and has earned $67,235.

GODIVA SHADOW GIRL REPLAY

Honey Love (Big Jim) also doubled up, taking the second split by a length-and-three-quarters in 1:55.2 with MacDonald in the sulky. Starlight Dancer (Jamieson) edged Brynley Seelster (Tyler Borth) for second. Honey Love trained by Mike Bishop for Millar Farms, is now three-for-five and has built her bankroll to $27,020.

HONEY LOVE REPLAY

The $40,000A series final is set for Friday, Nov. 24.

MacDonald won five races on the card, creeping closer to a second straight 400-win season. He has now totaled 383 on the year.

Woodbine Mohawk Park will complete its race week on Saturday, Nov. 18 with an 11-race card beginning at 7:00 p.m. EST.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink