Osceola takes first win at four

2023 Breeders Crown and Hambletonian finalist Osceola (Muscle Mass) scored his first win of the harness racing season in the third leg of the Canadian-sired Graduate Series at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Friday (Apr. 26).

The stallion took two turns around the oval sitting third of five with the panels provided by leader Hasty Bid (James MacDonald). Hasty Bid battled Passarino (Sylvain Filion) down the stretch, but Osceola produced the best late kick and rolled by them both for the 1:54.3 victory. Passarino was second by a half-length with Ghostly Casper (Tyler Borth) edging out Hasty Bid for show.

OSCEOLA REPLAY

The win came in Osceola’s second start of the year after his place finish in the previous leg of the series for four-year-old trotters. The Gregg McNair-trained four-year-old won the Ontario SBOA Stakes and two Ontario Sires Stakes Golds last year. Osceola has now won seven of 27 career outings and has earned $457,830 for owners McNair, Willow Oak Ranch of Rogersville, and Paul Hawman of Collingwood.

Powder Play (Sportswriter) made front on the turn and went all the way from there in the pacing mare division of the Canadian-sired Graduate. Jody Jamieson rated her to :27.3, :57.3, and 1:25.4 fractions as the field followed single-file, and Powder Play stayed strong to the line to win in 1:52.2. Mist Amber (Trevor Henry) showed late pace and passed Ima Doll (Borth) late to take second.

POWDER PLAY REPLAY

The winning mare also won the second leg and placed in the opener. She won Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots and Prospect Series legs at three but has raced mainly at the conditioned level throughout her career. The Meg Crone-conditioned mare is 12-for-40 lifetime with $171,005 in earnings. Robert Woodburn owns the four-year-old.

The open pacers will contest their final preliminary leg of the Canadian-sired Graduate Series on Apr. 27. The $75,000A finals for all three divisions are set for May 4.

Woodbine Mohawk Park finishes its week of racing on Saturday, Apr. 27 with a packed 12-race card. The program features the four finals of the Ontario-sired Spring Series, the third leg of the Canadian-sired Graduate for pacers, and a $32,000 Preferred-2. The first race will go off at 7:10 p.m. EDT.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink