A year-end rivalry resumed in the Fillies & Mares Preferred pacing ranks at Woodbine Mohawk Park with So Much More coming out on top in the final edition of the year on Friday, Dec. 29.
The bettors gave defending champion So Much More the slight nod as the 3-5 favourite in the $36,000 distaff feature over 8-5 Huntress after she bested that rival by a head in their last matchup a week ago.
Leaving from post four, Huntress (Sylvain Filion) secured the early lead over Tells On A Roll (Travis Cullen) before Dabarndawgswatchin (Jody Jamieson) swept up from third approaching the :27.1 quarter pole and cleared to command. Meanwhile, So Much More tracked those rivals in fourth before James MacDonald sent the favourite first-up at the midway mark.
Dabarndawgswatchin hit the half in :55.2 and continued to lead the way past three-quarters in 1:23.3 over the ‘good’ track with So Much More looming first-over as she looked Huntress in the eye then set her sights on the leader.
Dabarndawgswatchin eventually gave way down the stretch with So Much More closing outside and Huntress emerging along the pylons to renew their rivalry. So Much More dug in, but Huntess wasn’t her only threat this night as 13-1 shot Tells On A Roll was rolling late off cover. So Much More held her ground in deep stretch and prevailed in 1:51.3 by a neck over the upset-minded Tells On A Roll while Huntress finished 1-1/2 lengths back in third.
So Much More earned her 70th lifetime victory and ended her seven-year-old campaign with 13 wins and $357,992 banked from 33 seasonal starts for trainer Don Beatson and co-owners Kenn Beatson and Cole England. She paid $3.50 to win.
The millionaire daughter of Big Jim is an O’Brien Award finalist for Older Pacing Mare of the Year and will be looking to deliver her connections a third trophy in that category when the winners are announced at the Feb. 3 national gala in Charlottetown, P.E.I. MacDonald, who had a four-win Friday night, is also hoping for his third O’Brien Award as a finalist in the Driver of the Year category.
(Standardbred Canada)
