Tesla Seelster blew up the toteboard at 25-1 in the $17,000 second leg of the harness racing Wine & Roses Trotting Series at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Monday, Mar. 15.
Driver Denis St. Pierre found the four-hole early with the four-year-old Muscle Mass mare, and they were content to sit behind dueling leaders through the 27.3 first panel after the 1/9 favourite broke stride. HP Starlette (Louis-Philippe Roy) drove on to the front and dropped a 57 half. Tesla Seelster shifted outside nearing three-quarters in 1:26.4, following Impulse Buy.
Tesla Seelster closed on HP Starlette throughout the stretch drive and went by with racetrack to spare, extending to a two-and-three-quarter length 1:55.3 victory. HP Starlette held on for second over a late rushing Oh Lina, who was third.
Tesla Seelster doubled her win total, improving her record to two-for-10 lifetime with more than $20,000 earned. The mare finished third in the first leg for owner Gestion Zane of Laval and trainer Tiffanee Staley. Both St Pierre and Staley secured their first win of 2021 with Tesla Seelster's victory. A $2 win ticket returned $52.40.
The $34,400 final of the Wine & Roses series will be contested on Monday, Mar. 22 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Charmbo Prince was never headed in leg two of the Family Day Trotting Series as he took the first division for the second week in a row.
Mike Saftic urged the gelding away with the car, settling on the front end before the turn. The field allowed Charmbo Prince a dream set of fractions, with Saftic giving his charge 28.4, 1:00, and 1:30.2 splits going into the stretch.
Toccoa Falls (Ed Hensley) and Franks Angel (Jason Ryan) were the most willing challengers, assaulting the leader from either side down the lane. Charmbo Prince had too much left after the soft tempo though, and he sprinted home to a 27 final quarter to win by a length in 1:57.2. Franks Angel came up the pylons for place, and Toccoa Falls' rally from the back landed him show.
Charmbo Prince is now five-for-28 lifetime with more than $80,000 in earnings. Randy Rier owns and bred the four-year-old Royalty For Life gelding with John Rier, who also trains. The horse paid $4.10 to win.
Meadowbranch Noble avenged his first division loss in the second division of the Family Day series, this time being on the correct end of a three-quarter length margin.
Scott Young sent the gelding out fastest, reaching the quarter in 27.3. James MacDonald then decided he wanted Bronze Yankee on the front, and they took the lead going towards the half in 57.4. That duo carved out a 30-second breather with a three-quarters in 1:27.4, but it wasn't enough to hold off two contenders.
Meadowbranch Noble waited for room at the rail in the stretch and pounced, trotting away to a 1:56.1 win. Rjs Invictus (Sylvain Filion) was first up since the half and landed second. Bronze Yankee finished third. The winner paid $4.90.
Meadowbranch Noble's win was his third from 19 career starts, and it tipped his earnings over $60,000 lifetime. Colin Johnson trains the son of Explosive Matter for Debbie Element of Rockwood.
The $35,600 final of the Family Day Trotting Series is also slated for Monday, Mar. 22.
Later on the card, Buck Dancer continued his undefeated streak at Mohawk Park, winning the night's $34,000 Preferred trot.
The five-year-old gelding, driven by a patient James MacDonald, sat fifth through opening splits of 27.2 and 57.1 and followed Oney Hall into the outside flow turning for home. Its Academic (Doug McNair), the prior week's Preferred winner, continued to lead through three-quarters in 1:26.1.
Buck Dancer shifted off his cover at the head of the lane and got properly into gear at the eighth pole, quickly erasing his rival's lead to win by a length and three quarters in 1:54. Its Academic survived a cavalry charge to finish second; Zig Zag (Filion) emerged third best.
Buck Dancer's Mar. 15 win was his third straight, and it increased his victory tally to 14 from 30 lifetime. Fox Racing Inc. owns the Guccio gelding that has now earned $143,415. Carmen Auciello does the conditioning.
Also on the card, trainers Scott McEneny and Patrick Hunt scored their first trips to the winner's circle of 2021 with Cold Freeze in the first, and Century Highness in the sixth, respectively.
Woodbine Mohawk Park will return on Thursday, Mar. 18.
For full race results, click here.
by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink