Millionaire pacing mare Waasmula closed off the cover of favourite Bernadette and defeated that foe at the wire to notch her 30th career win in the featured $25,000 distaff pace on Friday night (February 17) at Woodbine Racetrack.
Trevor Henry worked out the winning trip aboard Waasmula for trainer Bruce Goit and owner/breeder Brent Vincent of Allenford, Ont. The win was the first of the year for the nine-year-old Million Dollar Cam-Waasmowin mare, who stopped the clock in 1:51.3.
Early leavers Victoria Semalu (Louis Philippe Roy), P L Hurricane (Randy Waples) and Sayitall BB (Travis Cullen) each took turns on the front end through opening panels of :26.2 and :55.3 before the 9-5 favourite moved underway. Bernadette (Doug McNair) advanced from mid-pack in search of her fourth straight win and battled head-to-head with Sayitall BB past the 1:23.3 third quarter mark and into the stretch where she began to gain the upper hand. However, Waasmula was closing from second-over and she managed to get up in time to steal the spotlight, winning by a head and paying $7.20 as the 5-2 second wagering choice. Sayitall BB finished one and three-quarter lengths behind in third.
Following the race, Woodbine Racetrack made a special winner’s circle presentation to the connections of Waasmula honouring her achievement in passing the $1 million mark in career earnings last month.
(Standardbred Canada)
