No surprise as Sorprese doubles

Sorprese improved on her opening day Preferred win at Hiawatha Horse Park with a crushing victory in the Saturday harness racing co-feature trot at the same circuit by more than nine lengths.

Driver Marc St. Louis used the mare’s inside draw to scramble her to the front, and she led the way through the opening quarter mile in :28. West River Cindy (Tyler Borth) brushed by her as they passed the stands, but St. Louis launched a re-take after the half in :58.1.

Sorprese won the top spot back swiftly, created a three-length gap by the time they hit three-quarters in 1:28, and continued storming home to a nine-and-a-quarter-length victory in 1:58.1. Constantino (Garrett Rooney) finished second over a tenacious West River Cindy. The winner paid $2.70.

The win was Sorprese’s second win of the season and fifth lifetime in 30 starts. The four-year-old offspring of Conway Hall has now earned $104,996. Mark Goddard oversees the mare for Howard Kaufman of Bryn Mawr, and Joshua Kaufman.

No Angel Here led a three-wide charge to victory in the first co-feature.

She started sixth for Peter Core and made her home on the cones through the first quarter in :29 and half in 1:00.1. Core sent the mare second-over on the backstretch but quickly switched to the three-path as a horse stalled in front of them.

No Angel Here unfurled her wins with the clear track, gliding past her opponents to score in 2:01.4. Jayport Hi Class (Greg Dustin) was second by a length and a quarter, and Wheely Twicky (Alfie Carroll) finished third after a stinging first-up bid. The winner paid $6.40.

No Angel Here, a four-year-old daughter of Archangel, was making her 2021 debut in the race. She has now won four of her 19 career races and has earned $41,016. Core also trains for Bet Max Stables Inc. of Casco and Benenati Inc. of Clinton Township.

Cheddar Bay recorded her first victory of the season and gave Core a double in the second co-feature with a second-over sweep.

Core dropped the gelding into fourth early and followed the leaders through the first two splits of :27.3 and :57.1. He drew cover immediately after moving to the outside, enjoyed it for an eighth of a mile, then circled three-wide after three-quarters in 1:26.2 and outkicked the foes in front of him to win by a neck in 1:55.4.

Kingofbrokenhearts (Borth), who was first over, battled the winner but could only manage the place spot. Quickstar Bluchip (St. Louis) finished third. The win price was $3.10.

Cheddar Bay is now six-for-55 lifetime with more than $100,000 in earnings. Core trains the five-year-old Betterthancheddar gelding for Donald and Heather MacGregor of Camlachie.

St. Louis starred on the card as he set foot in the winner’s circle five times on Saturday.

For full race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink