Ontario harness racing champion Ghostly Casper (Resolve) made a triumphant return to Woodbine Mohawk Park on Monday, July 29, setting a new lifetime mark after a two-race stint in the U.S.
Ghostly Casper, trained by Ben Baillargeon, quickly secured his position at the pylons as four horses battled for position into the first turn. Tyler Borth opted to let Handsome Sebastian (driven by Trevor Henry) take the lead after the quarter in 26.4 seconds, tucking Ghostly Casper into the pocket.
Handsome Sebastian trotted middle fractions of 55.1 and 1:23.2, maintaining the lead as the top two horses pulled away from the pack. As they rounded the final turn, Ghostly Casper angled out and effortlessly overtook Handsome Sebastian at the eighth pole, powering to a decisive four-and-a-half-length victory in 1:51.4.
Special Mission (Tyler Jones) made a strong move from the back to finish second, while Distance Learning (Austin Sorrie) rounded out the top three by passing the fading Handsome Sebastian.
A Hambletonian finalist of last year, Ghostly Casper is now four-for-12 this season. His win on Monday marked a significant improvement, reducing his previous best time by over a second. With earnings of $715,337 and eight wins in 41 starts, the four-year-old is co-owned by Baillargeon, Teresa Davidson of Milton, Santo Vena of Cedar Valley, and Nunzio Vena of Bolton.
Tyler Borth had a standout evening, securing victories in three races.