Postmodernism and Westbeach blew up the Woodbine Mohawk Park tote board on Friday, Feb. 26 with two late-closing upsets.
Postmodernism went from last to first in the ninth race at 25-1 in an eye-catching move rarely seen in harness racing. With it, she secured the last of three $20,000 feature races and a first victory for new owners.
Driver Bob McClure dropped back with her to eighth at the start and continued to sit near the back through fractions of 27.2, 57, and 1:26.2. The pair pulled fourth-over coming around the far turn as Free Flyin Ticket overtook Sunday Afternoon at the head of the field. McClure fully unleashed Postmodernism at the eighth pole, and she unfurled her metaphorical wings. The five-year-old mare flew home, passing eight horses in the stretch and getting by Sunday Afternoon in the last possible stride to win.
Postmodernism took her fourth lifetime victory from 28 starts and surpassed $50,000 in earnings with the Feb. 26 1:54.2 win. It was also the daughter of American Ideal's first win for trainer Jody McClure and 2729346 Ontario Inc. The mare paid $53.90 to win.
Six races earlier, 22-1 shot Westbeach converted a perfect trip into her first win of the season in the first of three co-features, passing the two favourites in the lane for a big upset.
Driver Sylvain Filion guided her into the pocket early, sitting behind Major League N through fractions of 27.2, 57.2, and 1:25.3. Swift Ally marched up to challenge first-over turning for home. The top two battled into the lane with drivers Ed Hensley and Doug McNair asking their mounts for more. Filion slid Westbeach out mid-stretch, but the five-year-old mare needed every meter of racetrack to get it done. She hit another gear in the final 1/16th and nailed Swift Ally by a head.
Swift Ally was game in second, as was Major League N, who finished third by half a length. The winner paid $47.40.
Westbeach took her first win since November 2020 in 1:52.3. The Sombeachsomewhere mare has now tallied eight wins from 50 starts and earned more than $110,000 lifetime for Lachance Racing Stable and Dragon Racing Inc. Her most recent win comes under the conditioning of trainer Richard Moreau.
Sheswildnfree jogged as expected in the second of the three co-features, scoring by two lenghts with the whip lightly used and the earplugs unpulled.
She tucked in third into the first turn at 1/5, but driver Filion quickly pulled the trigger and sent his mare to the top. She cleared Northern Sultan, who led to the quarter in 28.1 and who moved to the safety lane on the backstretch for an unknown reason. Meadowbranch Noble followed Sheswildnfree into the outside flow but took the pocket after Northern Sultan vacated the rail. Sheswildnfree set a 58.4 half and a 1:28.3 three-quarters with Archies Star providing mild pressure first-over. The leader kicked away with minimal urging from Filion, cruising home for a two-length victory and a new life's mark of 1:56.2.
She's now two-for-two in 2021 for trainer Benoit Baillargeon. The four-year-old mare by Muscle Mass has four wins and more than $50,000 lifetime against her name from 20 lifetime starts. She's owned and was bred by Thomas and Elizabeth Rankin of St. Catherines.
Mohawk is back in action on Saturday, Feb. 27 with a 10-race card.
For full race results, click here.
by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink