by Jeff Renton, media/communications, the Woodbine Entertainment Group

Toronto, ON — The Damsel Series’ $26,250 second leg showcased a little bit of everything on Sunday afternoon at Woodbine.

WEG Photo

Tan Forever (Chris Christoforou) was a winner in Sunday’s leg of the Damsel Series.

Driven by Chris Christoforou, Joe Stutzman pupil Tan Forever ($6.10, $4.00) stopped the clock in 1:55⁴ during a dash which saw show wagering taken off the board.

After a bobble beyond the quarter-mile pole put a scare in the chalk players last week, Odds On Charmaine had calmly found her gait and motored to an easy victory.

This week the four-year-old daughter of Western Hanover wasn’t so lucky.

In the two hole heading for the same :26⁴ quarter-mile marker, Odds On Charmaine again put in rough steps (this time before the call). Driver Luc Ouellette could not regroup the mare like he did last week and the pacer (who was part of an entry with Odds On Michelle) broke, scattering the field.

From there, Christoforou and Tan Forever plugged in fractions of :57¹ and 1:26, before coming home with a :29⁴ final frame, scoring by two and a quarter lengths over Greenwich Villa ($11.70).

The other part of the Odds On Racing entry, Odds On Michelle, had finished third, two and three-quarter lengths in arrears, but was placed back after a ruling by the presiding O.R.C. judges.

Rule #22.08 of the O.R.C.’s Rules Of Standardbred Racing reads: If a violation is committed by a person driving a horse coupled as an entry the judges shall set both horses back if, in their opinion, the violation may have affected the finish of the race, otherwise penalties may be applied individually.

Therefore, the judges subsequently placed Odds On Michelle (who had finished third) 11th and Odds On Charmaine (who had finished 11th) 12th.

After all was settled, one thing was clear, Tan Forever was in the winner’s circle posing for her 14th career photo.

The exactor and triactor returned $62.70 and $279.90 respectively.

Owned by Ontario residents Ian Fromowitz and Jack Frydman, Tan Forever, a daughter of Stand Forever—To Be Tan, bumped her seasonal record to 3-1-2 and $37,804 in purses from seven starts. The Stephen Sexton-bred now boasts $109,828 overall on her card.

The C$122,500 (estimated) final of the Damsel Series is slated for next Sunday, March 28 at Woodbine.

Notes: Including the Damsel division, the combination of Christoforou and Stutzman came up with a hat trick of winners of the card. Lance Baran ($7.40) broke his maiden in his first-ever attempt in the card’s opening dash and Magical GG ($3.60) closed off the program with his third career victory.

Trainer-driver Michael Vanderkemp also brought a pair of his students to the wire first on the afternoon — Walk Like Erkel ($3.80) and Thinkative ($10.40).

Rick Zeron also drove two winners, while conditioner Nat Varty also had a pair of his students in victorious form.