Sweet Heaven won the N/W $14,500L5 top condition at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Feb. 19, giving the Baillargeon barn a heavenly start to its 2021 harness racing season.
The five-year-old mare quarter-poled from the four-hole in the Friday night feature and rushed to the front. She paced the next half-mile unopposed and resisted a late challenge from Hello Love to earn a winner's circle trip.
Hello Love sprinted out to an early advantage, striking the front entering the first turn. She paced the first quarter in 29.4, and Sylvain Filion simultaneously hit the gas on Sweet Heaven, bringing her out of fourth. Filion seemed to wrestle with the Benoit Baillargeon trainee as the horse cleared to the lead at the half in 57.4.
Sweet Heaven managed a reasonable 1:26.2 third quarter before quickly dispatching first-over challenger Lyons Tilt Hanover. The leader went into a drive and repelled an attack from Hello Love, who mounted a charge in the final eighth. The latter made it to the leader's shoulder, but no further, and finished second by a neck. Rose Run Victory sat behind the top two for much of the contest and slid out late to take the third-place cheque.
Sara Baillargeon, a caretaker for her family's Baillargeon stable, was excited after the mare's win.
"Two starts into 2021 and Team B gets a win," she posted on Facebook after the race. "Heaven takes advantage of class drop, plugs in, jiggy jog."
The daughter of Sweet Lou improves to 11 for 31 lifetime and adds the winner's cut of the $22,000 purse to her previous total earnings of $113,271. She's owned by Benoit Baillargeon, Rick Heinz, and Santo and Nunzio Vena. A $2 win ticket paid $4.
This card was Woodbine Mohawk Park's second since returning from a hiatus caused by the Covid-19 lockdown in Ontario. The Campbellville, Ontario track's next race date is Feb. 20.
For full race results, click here.
by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink