by Greg Blanchard, media/communications, Woodbine Entertainment Group

Campbellville, ON — Prada Hall scored an upset as the longest shot on the board in Sunday night’s (August 5) In Free Trotting Series Final for 2-year-old fillies at Mohawk Racetrack.

With Trevor Ritchie driving, the daughter of Andover Hall-Yankee Dazzle prevailed over four other rivals in 1:58.1 while returning $34.90 to win.

Prada Hall sat third for most of the mile and watched as Travelin Supergirl and Arbor Hanover traded the lead through a first half of 1:00.1. Ritchie brought his filly to the outside in the third quarter and got past the leader, Arbor Hanover, right at the third station in 1:30.

The race came down to a final quarter sprint with Prada Hall holding off race favorite Anklets Aweigh, who followed on the winner’s back until the top of the stretch. The final margin of victory for Prada Hall was a quarter of a length.

“I got into a spot that I didn’t really expect to be in,” said winning driver Trevor Ritchie. “I came first-up with her, but it was pretty late in the mile, so I wasn’t too concerned about that part of it. I thought she had some talent and I was impressed the way she fought off the other filly (Anklets Aweigh) because she actually may have headed us halfway down the stretch.”

Sunday night’s victory was the first in four career starts for the Harald Lunde trainee and bumped her bankroll to just over $C23,000 for owner Torkil Pedersen of Norway. Prada Hall is staked primarily in the Pennsylvania Sires Stakes program.

Big guns prevail in OSS Gold elims at Mohawk

Pacing standouts Bigtime Ball and Domitian Hanover were both victorious as expected while Along Came Polly posted an upset in Sunday’s three C$43,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold eliminations for 3-year-old colt pacers at Mohawk Racetrack.

Domitian Hanover, who was coming off a victory in the C$195,000 Canadian Breeders Championship at Mohawk, scored easily for driver Mark MacDonald in 1:52.1. He took over command at the quarter and cruised to his third win in six tries this season for owners Clay and Scott Horner and trainer James ‘Friday’ Dean.

Canadian Breeders runner-up Bigtime Ball used similar tactics to score in his split for driver Paul MacDonell in 1:50.4, the fastest of the elims. It was his seventh win in 11 starts for his owner-trainer Gord Irwin of Cobourg, Ontario.

The only upset came in the opening tilt when Jason Brewer worked out a perfect two-hole trip with Along Came Polly and then came out in the stretch to score in 1:52.1. Trained by Rod Duford for owner Larry Pollard of Harrow, Ontario, Along Came Polly now has five wins in 14 starts this year.

The C$130,000 OSS Gold Final will go next Sunday night at Mohawk. Here is a look at the field in post position order:

1. Raw Energy
2. Twin B Survivor
3. Bigtime Ball
4. Sipwiththepres
5. Windsun Ben
6. Daddy Mac
7. Along Came Polly
8. Domitian Hanover
9. Deuces And Jacks
10. Sergei Seelster