by Greg Gangle – WEG Media

Toronto, ON — Beginning tonight Woodbine Racetrack will be playing host to the Autumn Series featuring 2-year-old colt and filly pacers and trotters as well as 3-year-old pacers and trotters of both sexes.

Each series will consist of two preliminary legs and a final.

A quartet of divisions kicked off on Thursday evening.

Two divisions for 2-year-old filly trotters and a pair for rookie pacing fillies highlighted the 12-race program.

Trainer Ron Parsons and owner/breeder Bob Key took both trotting divisions to sweep the daily double.

In the opening dash, Wonderland Snow, driven by Trevor Henry, led gate-to-wire in 2:00.1.

The daughter of Angus Hall led through panels of :29, 1:00.1 and 1:31.2, before using a :28.4 final frame to seal the victory. Post time favorite Aphrodity (Rick Zeron) finished second with Andrea Lea (Per Henriksen) finishing third.

Wonderland Snow, a two-time winner from 10 career starts, increased her rookie bankroll to C$25,300. She paid $5.20 to win as the second choice.

In the next race, Sweetie Hearts came from behind to score the win in 1:57.3.

Mario Baillargeon guided the daughter of Angus Hall off the speed through panels of :28.1, :58.4 and 1:28.4, before showing his charge clear racetrack down the stretch to win by half a length. Torches Star (Steve Condren) finished second with Capturethememory (Scott Zeron) third.

Sent off as the heavy favorite, Sweetie Hearts also enjoyed her second career victory as her lifetime earnings increased to C$13,900. She paid $3 to win.

Filly pacers were up next and Witch Dali, driven by Jack Moiseyev, kicked off the Early Pick-4 in the fourth with a 1:53.2 score.

The heavily-favored daughter of Dali cleared to the front past the :27.4 opening quarter and never looked back through the middle-half of :57 and 1:25.1 before sailing to an open length victory. Zenobia Blue Chip (Scott Zeron) finished second with Exhilarated (Sylvain Filion) completing the triactor.

Trained and co-owned by Tony Alagna along with Aaron Waxman and Gaetan Hebert, Witch Dali increased her rookie bankroll to C$28,320. She paid $3.20 to win.

In the final division, Noble Jilly and Jody Jamieson found the wire first in 1:54.1.

The daughter of Jeremes Jet came from well off the pace through fractions of :27.2, :56.2 and 1:25, before picking up all the pieces in deep stretch to seal the win. Stellllllla (Scott Zeron) finished second with Artful Impulse (Randy Waples) grabbing third.

Trained by Harry Poulton for owner/breeder Banjo Farms, Noble Jilly now has back-to-back wins and C$29,854 in career earnings. The pacing miss celebrated a new lifetime best in the process and paid $6.30.

The Autumn Stakes returns to Woodbine tomorrow night with six divisions on the 13-race card. Post time is scheduled for 7:25 p.m.