MILTON, March 22, 2021 – Better late than never, Woodbine Mohawk Park played host to the Wine & Roses and Family Day Trotting Series finals on Monday night. Originally scheduled for February 15, the winter series were pushed back to March due to the province-wide lockdown. Both finals featured a pair of preliminary legs ahead of Monday’s added money finals. Sheswildnfree rebounded from a miscue in leg two to score a decisive 4 ¼ length victory in the $34,400 Wine & Roses Trotting Series final. Sylvain Filion guided the Ben Baillargeon trained four-year-old to the 1:54.2 score. Sent off as the 2/5 favourite, Sheswildnfree flashed early speed along with next door rival Impulse Buy, clearing to command just after a :27.3 opening-quarter. The Baillargeon trainee put the race to bed from there, posting middle-half splits of :57.1 and 1:25.4 before scooting away in the lane for her fourth win in five starts this season. Impulse Buy never relinquished second, while Charlotte Chaplin edged Hp Starlette for third. A homebred for Tom & Elizabeth Rankin, Sheswildnfree is a daughter of Muscle Mass with now six wins and $77,158 to her name. The clocking of 1:54.2 is a new career-best. Sheswildnfree returned $2.90 to win. Rjs Invictus capitalized off a perfect second-over steer from driver Bob McClure to win the $35,800 Family Day Trotting Series final at odds of 8-1. The Ray Lowery trainee finished sixth in the first leg and second in last week’s second leg. After an early scramble for the top, Franks Angel led the field through middle-half panels of :57.1 and 1:25.4. Meadowbranch Noble came first-up to attack the leader and was on even-terms at the third-marker, while Rjs Invictus and McClure were latched onto that cover ready to pounce. Rjs Invictus claimed the lead with an eighth of a mile to go, but had to fight off a hard-closing Toccoa Falls, who was the 2-1 favourite and closing from seventh turning for home. Rjs Invictus held off the rival by a neck to win in a career-best 1:54.1. Charmbo Prince, who was looking for the series sweep, started from the second-tier and grabbed third after racing sixth throughout. Meadowbranch Nobel settled for fourth. A four-year-old gelding, Rjs Invictus was winless in three starts this season prior to Monday evening. The son of Windsong Espoir now has three wins and $50,899 in career earnings for owner/breeder Russell Lowery. A $2 win ticket on Rjs Invictus returned $19.20. The Wine & Roses and Family Day were open to three and four-year-old trotters, non-winners of $60,000 lifetime as of October 31, 2020. Winter series final action continues later this week with the $40,600 Snowshoe and $40,400 Blizzard finals scheduled for Friday (March 26). Share This:Share
