by Karen Briggs, WEG Media

Toronto, ON — Sophomore fillies take center stage on Monday night (Dec. 15) as Woodbine presents the first leg of the Niagara Pacing Series, for lasses who are non-winners of C$50,000 lifetime, as of October 31.

Three C$20,000 splits will go postward (races three, four, and five), and the stand-out filly among the 29 entries may be Windsong Experanza, who has drawn the inside post in the final contest.

The daughter of Astreos can do no wrong lately, remaining unbeaten in six starts for new trainer and part-owner Richard McNeill. In her last two efforts at Woodbine, she defeated Onherwaykillean by more than four lengths each time, while moving up in class. With Mark MacDonald in the bike for the first time on Monday, she has been assigned the shortest odds in the three fields, and is currently listed at 6-5.

Casie Coleman trainee Beyonce Blue Chip will also be making an appearance in this series, leaving from post 10 in the second of the three Niagara splits. The Art Major filly, who is owned by British harness enthusiast Tom Hill, took the summer off after being scratched sick from a Mohawk conditioned race in July, but bounced back to score checks in all four of her starts from October on, before finishing a disappointing seventh in her Breeder’s Crown elimination at The Meadowlands. Back in her element at Woodbine and with regular pilot Randy Waples at the controls, Beyonce Blue Chip could well overcome her difficult post position and demonstrate her inner diva. She’s rated the 5-2 favorite in her division.

The second leg of the Niagara Pacing Series is scheduled for Monday, December 22, with the C$45,000 final on Monday, December 29. Please note that the Niagara divisions will be contested at the usual one mile distance, but that the other races on the card will be raced at the distance of seven-eighths of a mile.