Stakes-winning stallion scores in Canadian Graduate

MILTON, ON – April 13, 2024 – Write Me A Rose (Sportswriter) lived up to the heavy-favourite billing to win Saturday’s first harness racing leg of the Canadian Graduate Series for open pacers at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Headlining a field of six for the $25,000 opening leg, Write Me A Rose brushed to the lead in the second quarter from third and never looked back, kicking home in :26.1 to win in 1:52 for driver Doug McNair and trainer Kyle Fellows.

Write Me A Rose finished a length and a quarter better than No Control, while Speaker Of Peace was third and Nightime Dancer fourth.

A homebred for Windermere Stable LLC, Write Me A Rose is now two for three this season and has career numbers of eight wins and over $400,000 in earnings. He won the SBOA Stakes last year and placed in the Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final.

Write Me A Rose paid $2.30 to win.

WRITE ME A ROSE REPLAY

The Graduate Series continues next weekend with leg two for the Pace, Mare Pace and Trot divisions. Each event features three preliminary legs ahead of the finals on May 4.

Saturday night’s card also saw eight-year-old pacing mare Gias Surreal (So Surreal) pick up her 36^th career victory to push over $1 million in lifetime earnings.

Trained by Don Lindsey, Gias Surreal entered Saturday’s card just less than $7,000 away from $1 million. The eight-year-old showed her back class, coming first up and then digging in down the lane to prevail in a tight photo for driver Bob McClure. The victory in the $24,000 event was the first of the season for the successful mare.

GIAS SURREAL REPLAY

Gias Surreal, who has raced in the sport’s biggest races for pacing mares, is owned by James Graham, Edward Peron and Lee Winters.

To read about Emmetts Buddy winning the card’s $32,000 Preferred-2, click here.

Live racing continues Monday evening at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Post time is 7:10 p.m.

For complete race results, click here.

by Mark McKelvie, for Woodbine Entertainment