Need To Breathe back on top at Mohawk

Need To Breathe (Riggins), who won three of her first four harness racing starts of the season, reclaimed the Fillies and Mares Preferred 2 title at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Friday (Mar. 17).

Travis Cullen ordered the mare forward from post seven, landing her at the top heading into the first turn. Major League N (Ed Hensley) never truly accepted the pocket and went right around to take the lead just after the quarter in :28.1. The second panel of :57 was uneventful, but Need To Breathe gave the leader a taste of her own medicine with a pocket-pop on the final turn.

Major League N was no match, and Need To Breathe stormed to the top while completing three-quarters in 1:25.1. Lock Bridge (Louis-Philippe Roy) chased her home but never threatened, and Need To Breathe finished the win in 1:53.4.

Style For A Mile (Doug McNair), winner of last week’s edition of the class, roared up late to nip Lock Bridge for place. The former was two-and-a-quarter lengths behind the winner.

NEED TO BREATHE REPLAY

Need To Breathe’s win was her 13th lifetime in 41 starts. The Indiana-bred raced her first two seasons in her home state, winning the Indiana Sires Stakes Super Final last season. Canadian connections Paul Sanders of Surrey, A1 Stable of Dundas, and Blair Kidd of Miniota bought the four-year-old in November and sent her to Mohawk. She has finished off the board just once in 15 starts north of the border and is four-for-eight this year. Her career earnings now total $356,575.

The next card at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Saturday, Mar. 18 features a $36,000 Free For All. The card will start at 7:00 p.m. EDT.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink