Series action continued at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Saturday (Dec. 19), with Rose Run Victory doubling up in the preliminaries while Man Dontforget Me ground to victory in the other division.
Rose Run Victory, off the 1-9 favourite, got away fourth to a :28 first quarter as Stevie Seelster swept past pylon-starter Docs Harmony to the lead. Driver Ed Hensley kept Rose Run Victory at the pegs to a :57.4 half while Classylaneprecious tipped first over from third. Hensley grabbed cover from Clasylaneprecious to the far turn and rolled three wide off three-quarters in 1:25.3 to charge past tiring horses to the front. The Shadow Play filly edged away to a two-and-three-quarter lengths win over Big Myrtle, who closed for second. Stevie Seelster slid into contention late to take third.
Odds-on choice Rose Run Victory swept to the front past the half and kept going, cruising to a 1:53.2 victory in the $17,000 first division for the opening preliminary of the Niagara Series on Saturday (Dec. 12) at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Starting from the pylon post, driver Ed Hensley settled Rose Run Victory into third while Mas Dontforget Me motored to the top through a :27.3 opening quarter with Tipperary Hill in the pocket. Hensley then hustled his three-year-old Shadow Play filly off the pegs for the lead into the backstretch, crossing over to the cones to control the terms by a :56 half.
Rose Run Victory remained unchallenged around the final turn, passing three-quarters in 1:24.3. From there the Ashleigh Hensley trainee held a firm length-and-a-quarter advantage over Tipperary Hill to the finish, while Docs Harmony rallied from near-last for third.