Waasmula matched Canada’s fastest mile of the 2016 harness racing season on Friday night (Feb. 26) with a 1:50.4 winning effort in a $25,000 upper-level conditioned event at Woodbine Racetrack for trainer Bruce Goit.

A Mares Preferred regular, Waasmula was sent postward as the 3-5 favourite in the seventh race for fillies and mares that were non-winners of $25,000 in their last five starts with Trevor Henry at the lines.

The eight-year-old daughter of Million Dollar Cam secured a three-hole trip leaving from post seven during a quick :26.2 opening quarter. Henry then right-lined her down the backstretch and she swept to command, hitting the half in :55.2 and three-quarters in 1:22.3. Early leader Witch Dali re-rallied from the pocket in a two-horse breakaway down the stretch, but Waasmula held on to score her second win of the year by a neck in a :28.1 final quarter. Back Yard Baby finished seven lengths behind as she rounded out the top-three finish order.

Nickle Bag, also driven by Henry, has turned in a pair of 1:50.4 winning efforts already this year to establish the Canadian season’s record — most recently last Saturday in the Preferred. He is the 6-5 morning line favourite from an assigned outside post six in this week’s $34,000 Preferred Handicap tomorrow night.

Waasmula is now Canada’s fastest mare through the first two months of the year as she took a full second off the divisional mark that Betit To Getit had set on Jan. 22.

Owned and bred by Brent Vincent of Allenford, Ont., Waasmula notched her 24th career win and pushed her bankroll over $740,000. A sub-1:50 pacing mare, she boasts a lifetime mark of 1:49.2, taken in 2013 at Mohawk.

(Standardbred Canada)