Woodbine Mohawk Park: Julie Walker wins International Women's Day race

Julie Walker guided Prince of Sussex to victory in Friday night's International Women's Day Race at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

A full field of 10 trotters lined up for Friday's third race, featuring all women drivers and part of Woodbine's International Women's Day celebrations. It was the third consecutive year Woodbine Mohawk Park hosted a race celebrating the women of harness racing.

Prince Of Sussex and Walker left out hard from post five and would sit a two-hole trip behind favorite Meadowbranch Noble. In the stretch, the favorite rolled off-stride with an eighth of a mile to go, as Walker and Prince Of Sussex trotted up the rail and pulled away late to win by 3 3/4 lengths in 1:55 4/5 at odds of 2-1.

Zip Me Up and Natasha Day finished second after a first-up bid, while Eden Onthehill and Samara Johnson grabbed a third-place finish after starting from post ten.

"I was wanting the front-end, but that was the best horse (Meadowbranch Noble) in the race to me, so I was quite happy sitting in the two-hole," said Walker post-race. "(Prince Of Sussex) was down in class, so I think that was the confidence that I had...he had been racing pretty tough."

Prince Of Sussex is a 5-year-old gelding that currently races for owner Zacharie Lemay and co-owner/trainer Gerard Demers.

The full field of drivers that participated in Friday's International Women's Day Race is listed below:

Julie Walker
Natasha Day
Samara Johnson
Marie-Claude Auger
Anita Ouellette
Maggie Jones
Brittany Kennedy
Pam Forgie
Jessica Turenne
Marielle Enberg

► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter

Friday's card started on a rough note after a two-horse accident occurred in the evening's first race.

With the field of eight pacing mares approaching the half, the group got jammed up, which led to Stay Special and driver Jonathan Drury (racing seventh) falling in front of Yes Im Hungry and driver Phil Hudon. Fortunately, both horses and drivers were able to walk off the track under their own power following the incident.

Hudon and Drury both drove in their next schedule race. Drury did eventually book off the remainder of his drives later in the evening.

Live racing continues Saturday night at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Post time is 7:10 p.m.

--press release (Woodbine Mohawk Park)--