Following two consecutive second-place finishes, the daughter of Yankee Cruiser won the first $25,927 Breeders Crown division for harness racing two-year-old filly pacers Friday night at Woodbine Racetrack.
With Yannick Gingras driving for trainer Ron Burke, Yankee Moonshine emerged from far back and unleashed a furious kick down the stretch, seizing control late and emerging with a two-length victory in a time of 1:53 4/5.
It marked the third win in 11 starts for the $42,000 Harrisburg graduate.
Given the fact that she has been facing the undefeated Pure Country several times in her first season, including a week ago in the International Stallion Stakes at the Red Mile in Lexington, Yankee Moonshine has done quite well. The fact Pure Country drew in the second division, didn't hurt her chances.
Yankee Moonshine was the race favorite at just under 8-5, but she had work hard for the win.
"She's a really nice filly," Gingras said. "She was good in (Pennsylvania) and then she tailed off a little bit, but the last three weeks she's been really good. She was good in Indiana. She was vicious last week in Lexington. She was first up against a really good filly, but she never quit. She was still trying in the stretch. She proved tonight she belongs with the top of the class."
The race featured several lead changes, but it was Yankee Moonshine, seemingly emerging from nowhere, that finished on top.
"I was in a pretty back spot there," Gingras said of his position heading into the stretch. "But she was running in pretty hard around the last turn, so it was hard for me to get her out three wide around (Rock Me Baby), so I took a chance to go back to the inside and hoping to be fifth.
"But they weren't pacing that strong up front and she was loaded with pace, so once I got daylight she did the rest."
Call Me Queen placed second, followed by Soft Idea. Blue Moon Stride and Skinny Dipper rounded out the top five that will move on the final.
Yankee Moonshine paid $5.50, $2.60, $2.60. Call Me Queen Be paid $2.60, $2.50. Soft Idea paid $3.80.
With her third win in 11 starts, Yankee Moonshine raised her career earnings to just shy of $140,000.
Call Me Queen Be led at the opening quarter in 27 flat, then Soft Idea made an outside move to inherit first place. But Blue Moon Stride then made a move and had the lead after three quarters in 1:24 flat.
Yankee Moonshine
Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown