Moosette snags third Open in four

Moosette (Hes Watching) kept her strike rate above 50 per cent this year and won her third Fillies and Mares Open in her past three starts with a short harness racing victory on Thursday (Mar. 30) at Fraser Downs.

She stayed wide entering the first turn and dropped back to last of the five-horse field. Stash The Cookies (John Chappell) set :27 and :57 first-half panels before taking pressure from the first-over Miss Itunes (Scott Knight) going to three-quarters in 1:25.1. Moosette moved onto the attacker’s back and drafted around the last turn.

Stash The Cookies appeared to have her challenger’s number, holding her advantage into the stretch. Moosette, racing three-wide down the lane, surged simultaneously with Miss Itunes approaching the finish with the former coming faster. Both had Stash The Cookies beat in the final strides, but Moosette reached up to steal the win by a head in 1:53.3.

Miss Itunes was a game second. Stash The Cookies was third.

MOOSETTE REPLAY

It was the 26th career win in 72 starts for Moosette. She has won three of her last four Open-level outings and five of nine so far in 2023. The six-year-old has earned $190,578 to date. Jim Marino trains the mare for owner/breeder Shale Stables of Merritt.

Fraser will complete its weekly slate on Friday, Mar. 31 with a nine-dash program kicking off at 7:00 p.m. PDT.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink