Milton, ON – Odds-on favorite Athena’s Girl grabbed command early and edged away under a hand drive to crush her rivals in the C$425,000 Grade 1 Peaceful Way, for 2-year-old female trotters, on Saturday night (Aug. 29) at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Driver Dexter Dunn floated Athena’s Girl off the wings as City Of Light rushed out of post 9 to cross the field and take an early lead. Athena’s Girl steadily marched up to sweep past City Of Light to the top through a :27.2 first quarter and settled on the point. She strode unfazed to the half in :57.2 and gradually gathered speed in the last turn as Love’s Passion inched uncovered toward the leader.
Past three-quarters in 1:25.3, Athena’s Girl straightened and peeled clear of her rivals to cross the finish a geared-down winner by 3-1/2 lengths in a lifetime-best 1:53 mile. Verily snagged second from a ground-saving trip with Dataprivacy rallying down the center of the track for third and Nevis Peak kicking from a pylon trip for fourth.
“She felt so good last week – a little grizzly out of the gate (this week) and around the first turn, but once she got the front she was really happy and was cruising the whole way, really,” said Dunn, who nabbed his first victory in the Peaceful Way. “She was just completely cruising. She had her ears pricked coming off the last turn and I had a big hold of her, and she cruised up the straight as well. She’s a real nice filly. The feeling she gave me tonight, she could’ve gone a lot quicker. Two-year-olds take a little time to find their groove and find their confidence, but this filly’s got it right now.”
A filly by Walner-Fashion Athena, Athena’s Girl scored her third win from six starts and has now banked C$245,106 for owner Brad Grant. The Marcus Melander trainee has also won three straight since adding trotting hopples, which Melander opted to equip after she broke in her first three starts in New Jersey Sire Stakes at the Meadowlands.
“It was frustrating because training down I don’t think she made one single break around our half-mile track, not even at the Meadowlands,” said Melander, who also won for the first time in the Peaceful Way. “Then she just started with those breaks, and it was very frustrating. I didn’t think she needed the hopples, but I think she just needed the confidence back after one or two breaks because she’s good gaited and a good horse, obviously. Training down she felt like one of our best ones, but we had a bump in the road with all those breaks. We finally got her right.”
Athena’s Girl returned $2.70 to win.