Cheese Party (Betterthancheddar) secured her fourth consecutive harness racing victory in the first division of leg five of the Prospect Series for three-year-old pacing fillies on Wednesday, September 11, at Grand River Raceway.
Driver Austin Sorrie positioned Cheese Party fifth along the rail early on but sent her on a first-over move after a :27 quarters as Fancy Lettering (Louis-Philippe Roy) controlled the lead. Cheese Party drew even after a half in :55.3, engaging in a fierce duel through three-quarters in 1:24. She gained the upper hand at the top of the stretch, and with Fancy Lettering unable to respond, Cheese Party cruised to a one-length victory in 1:53.4. Tamara Hanover (Todd Ratchford) rallied late for third.
This marks Cheese Party’s fourth straight win, including two Prospect Series legs. As a two-year-old, she pulled off a surprise win at 50-1 in the Battle of the Belles. Owned and trained by Kyle Bossence, Cheese Party has now won six of 17-lifetime starts, with career earnings totalling $127,055.
In the second division, Definingthe Moment (Control The Moment) delivered a gate-to-wire victory for Louis-Philippe Roy in her first start on a B-track. Distant Lover (Austin Sorrie) pressured her from the half-mile to the final turn, but Definingthe Moment pulled away in the stretch to win by three-and-a-quarter lengths. Ontop Rainstorm (Mike Whelan) finished second, with Distant Lover third. Trained by Roger Mayotte, Definingthe Moment has won three of 21 career starts and is co-owned by Mayotte, Ben Mudry, Louis Liebenau, and Larry Curtis.
The final division saw Quiet Assurances (Bruce Richardson) battle her way to the front after two moves, fend off a challenge from Saulsbrook Annie (Roy), and dig in to win by a length in 1:55.4. Saulsbrook Annie finished a tough second, while Stilton Gold (Jason Ryan) took third. Quiet Assurances, trained by Rene Dion for owners Howard Taylor and Falcon Racing, now has six wins in 31 career starts with $55,822 in earnings.
The Prospect Series finals are scheduled for September 27 at Grand River Raceway. Racing will resume at the track on Friday, September 13, with a 10-race card featuring four Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots divisions.