Posts drawn for $540,000 Shes A Great Lady

The field is set for the Shes A Great Lady, Woodbine Mohawk Park’s top event for rookie harness racing pacing fillies, after two $35,000 eliminations on Saturday (Sep. 16).

Locally-based filly Its A Love Thing (Bettors Delight) defeated Pennsylvania’s My Girl Ej in a tooth-and-nail stretch duel in the first elimination.

Its A Love Thing provided the opening quarter of :27.3 for James MacDonald before Dave Miller pointed My Girl Ej to the front. The latter put up a :56.3 half, and the battle kicked off as Its A Love Thing popped the pocket approaching three-quarters in 1:24.4.

Its A Love Thing pulled alongside the leader despite needing a course correction at the top of the stretch, and she put her nose in front at the eighth pole. My Girl Ej fought, keeping the gap minimal, but Its A Love Thing refused to relinquish her lead and made it home a winner in 1:50.4.

My Girl Ej was beaten by a half-length. Genie Hanover (Todd McCarthy) emerged from a blanket finish for third. Stonebridge Halo (Sylvain Filion) edged out Rocket Deo (Scott Zeron) for fourth.

ITS A LOVE THING REPLAY

Its A Love Thing is now five-for-eight as a rookie and will look for three straight wins in next week’s final. She took the Champlain Stakes on Sep. 9 and has now earned $216,446 under trainer Dave Menary. Eric Good of Davidsonville, Thomas Biederman of Lexington, and Joshua Green of Midway own the filly.

One-to-nine favourite Caviart Belle (Captaintreacherous) did not disappoint in the second elimination despite tense moments down the stretch.

The filly, in line to Yannick Gingras, brushed from fourth to take over just before the midway point from Odds On Platinum (Sylvain Filion). Caviart Belle strung the field out with a quick third panel, but she couldn’t shake Odds On Platinum who came back at her in the stretch. The prospective upsetter looked primed to roll by the favourite, but Caviart Belle dug in approaching the line and held her off by a neck in 1:50.2.

Odds On Platinum was a strong second. Longshot Bettor Sisters (Trevor Henry) finished third with Watching You (Doug McNair) just behind her in fourth. Elodie Hanover (Tyler Borth) completed the top five.

CAVIART BELLE REPLAY

Caviart Belle has now won four straight races among stakes company, including the Eternal Camnation last out. Nancy Takter trains the filly, who has now won five of seven starts and has earned $157,513, for Caviart Farms of Vienna.

The field for the $540,000 is below:

1-Elodie Hanover

2-Odds On Platinum

3-Caviart Belle

4-Rocket Deo

5-Its A Love Thing

6-Genie Hanover

7-My Girl EJ

8-Watching You

9-Stonebridge Halo

10-Bettor Sisters

AE-Bronx Barista

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink