A well-balanced field of only four horses contested The Raceway at Western Fair's $10,500 Preferred 2 feature on Feb. 19, but the small group produced exciting harness racing action.
Casimir Swamp Girl won it at 3/5, but she paced very hard and came from last to do so.
The Girls of Image got away best, leading the field of mares single file into the first turn, and she continued at full throttle to the quarter in 27.3. Driver Marc St. Louis leveled her out through the second panel, but his defiant mount threw her head and drifted into the two-path as she hit the half in 57. Her early efforts proved too taxing as Firebby A popped the pocket moving toward three-quarters in 1:26.3 and stepped around the labouring leader.
Significance left the pylons shortly after and they dueled coming around the final turn. Colin Kelly swung Casimir Swamp Girl, who also passed the early leader, three-wide as they entered the stretch and the trio threw down. Significance blinked first, fading between horses to finish third. That left Casimir Swamp Girl and Firebby A to pace for victory, and the former got up in a tight photo.
The winner, a five-year-old Kyle Bossence-trainee by Up The Credit, improves to 19-for-34 lifetime and will add half of the $10,500 purse to her bankroll of $100,351. She picked up where she left off for owner William Pendleton, winning her return race after she beat Preferred 3 fillies and mares on Dec. 21, 2020. She paid $3.30 to win.
That was the ninth of 10 dashes at The Raceway on Feb. 19. The track will take the weekend off and resume racing on Feb. 22.
For full race results, click here.
by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink