by Karen Briggs, WEG Media

Toronto, ON — There will be C$35,000 up for grabs in each of two divisions on Thursday night, March 12, at Woodbine Racetrack, as the opening round of the Damsel Pacing Series for 3- and 4-year-old fillies and mares gets underway.

The Three Of Us, a Mach Three mare conditioned by Bob Young, is the overwhelming morning line favorite in the first of the two splits (race two, post time 7:49 p.m.) on the strength of her recent wire-to-wire triumph in the C$54,500 final of the Ontario Girls series. Mike Saftic picks up the drive from an injured Roger Mayotte.

The second of the two Damsel splits (race six, post time 9:05 p.m.) is a bit more of a toss-up, with Richard McNeill trainee Windsong Experanza going up against Designated Leader, a No Pan Intended mare sent out by Murray Brethour. Windsong Experanza was runner-up in all three Ontario Girls events over the past month, while Designated Leader last visited the winner’s circle on February 6 in a C$26,000 conditioned event at Woodbine. The two are rated at 5-2 and 7-2, respectively.

Catch the dueling damsels on Thursday night, and in the second leg of the series on March 19.