Warrawee Koine took the lead at the three-eighths mark and cruised to her fourth consecutive victory against filly and mare preferred pacers at Woodbine Racetrack on Friday evening.
In the $32,000 Friday feature, Spirit To Spare (Paul MacDonell) fired off the gate from Post 4 to take the early lead ahead of Warrawee Koine, who was starting just to her inside. Following a :27-second opening quarter, driver Jody Jamieson rolled Warrawee Koine to the top and proceeded to the half in :56 and three-quarters in 1:24.1 while Pancleefandarpels (Randy Waples) moved underway from the backfield, flushing Four Starz Horndog (Sylvain Filion) out from third. Warrawee Koine hit the stretch with a three length lead on the field and cruised to the wire in 1:51.1, a season’s mark and just one-fifth of a second off her lifetime record. Four Starz Horndog narrowed the winner’s margin to one and three-quarter lengths. Pancleefandarpels, a runner-up in her last three starts, had to settle for third this time around.
Warrawee Koine paid $3.50 to win as the heavy 3-5 favourite. The five-year-old Astreos-My Gal Hall mare has won half of her 10 starts this year and has yet to finish out of the money while earning $110,800 for trainer Colin Johnson and owner Dr. Michael Wilson of Rockwood, Ont. The 17-time career winner now boasts a bankroll of $330,758.
(courtesy Standardbred Canada)