Need To Breathe doubles up in Preferred-2

Need To Breathe (Riggins) put a second straight past her filly and mare harness racing rivals in the $30,000 Preferred-2 at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Friday (Jan. 6).

Travis Cullen gave the mare an early pocket spot but abandoned it just after hitting the quarter in :28 and moved to the front with the help of an early plug pull. She cut the half of :57.3 and pushed the throttle forward to three-quarters in 1:25.3.

Need To Breathe entered the stretch first and got home under urging to complete the victory in 1:53.4.

Dabarndawgswatchin (Louis-Philippe Roy) gained down the stretch to pick up the place cheque, second by two-and-a-quarter lengths. Sporty Tori (Bob McClure) finished third.

NEED TO BREATHE REPLAY

It was the second straight win for Need To Breathe, who captured her first Preferred-level victory a week prior. Jodie Cullen trains the mare for A1stable of Dundas, Paul Sanders of Surrey, and Blair Kidd of Miniota. The four-year-old, who moved to Ontario after winning the Indiana Sires Stakes Super Final last October, is now 10-for-34 with a bankroll of $285,125.

Driver Doug McNair logged a grand slam on the 10-race card.

Canada’s top pacers will take the stage on Woodbine Mohawk Park’s next card, set for Saturday, Jan. 7. O’Brien Award nominee So Much More is the morning line favourite in the Preferred, which is nine races into the 11-race program that starts at 7:00 p.m. EST.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink