by Greg Blanchard. WEG Media

Toronto, ON — Warp Speed and Dinner Guest drew first blood in Monday’s (Feb. 16) first leg of the Ontario Boys Pacing Series for 4-year-olds at Woodbine Racetrack.

Warp Speed was parked three-wide for much of the first quarter in the opening C$20,000 split, but once on the lead, the son of Mach Three-Hopeulive went the distance in a 1:53.3 victory for driver Mario Baillargeon. He was able to hold off a determined Winter Blues with Shiny Mach finishing a blocked third.

It was the first win of the season in four tries for the Ben Wallace trainee and boosted his career earnings to $57,742 for the Southside Cdn Farms Ltd. of Kemptville, Ontario.

In the second division, Dinner Guest used off-the-pace tactics for driver Randy Waples to prevail in 1:54. The son of No Pan Intended-Beach Guest rallied from seventh at the half to haul down Windsun Twister with longshot HBF’s Tommy-T rallying to pick up third.

Dinner Guest was winning for the second time this year in six tries for trainer Chad Schmiedge and owners the Ceejay Stable, Pat Elynuik and Doris McDougal. The lion’s share of the purse increased his career total to $78,607.

The second leg of the Ontario Boys Series will go postward next Monday night (Feb. 23) at Woodbine.