NZ HARNESS NEWS
Mika Forss shot to the lead in the World Drivers Championship yesterday (Tuesday) when he won three straight races, igniting hopes that Finland could win their first world title in 27 events.
Driving at Mohawk Downs in Ontario in the second WDC meeting of five in Canada, Forss ran fifth in the opening heat, but won the second heat with second favourite Dialamara ($4.30), then breezed past his rivals with wins on Lights Go Out ($3.10) and outsider Mego Moss ($29).
More comfortable driving straight-out trotters in his homeland than pacers, the flying Finn now has 95 points, taking the series lead from Canada’s James MacDonald (83 points), who won the first heat yesterday, followed by USA driver Marcus Miller (74.5) and New Zealand’s defending champion Dexter Dunn (71), who finished second three times yesterday.
The other Kiwi representative, Mark Purdon (52), had a second and third to move into eighth place of 11 drivers.
Forss sent Dialamara to the lead from post six in the second heat before the first turn and never looked back en route to a two-length victory in 1:53.3 over 1609m (mobile).
Dunn chased the winner home from the trail behind favourite Bugger Bruiser and Purdon followed in third from three-back the rails driving On Golden Ponder.
Forss then sent Lights Go Out three-wide off cover in the third heat approaching the third-quarter mark and took command in the stretch, with the mare drawing away by three lengths to stop the clock in 1:54.3.
Purdon and Miss Coco Luck closed hard for second.
‘’The horse was really flying and the whole way my feeling was I was sitting behind a winner,’’ said Forss.
He then took the series lead with a gem of a drive in the fourth heat.
Overcoming the outside post of 10, eight-year-old trotter Mego Moss swept off cover turning for home and ran away in 1:54.2.
Dunn earned his third runner-up finish with LMC Mass Oak edging out fellow late-closer Sky Lav.
‘’I have to say, I love Mohawk,’’ laughed Forss after his third victory.
The series now moves to Georgian Downs in Ontario on Wednesday morning for five races (NZ time).
WDC LEADERBOARD
1 Mika Forss (Finland) 95 pts
2 James MacDonald (Canada) 83
3 Marcus Miller (United States) 74.5
4 Dexter Dunn (New Zealand) 71
5= Shane Graham (Australia) 62
5= Bjorn Goop (Sweden) 627 Gerhard Mayr (Austria) 57
8 Mark Purdon (New Zealand) 52
9 Noel Baldacchino (Malta) 49
10 Eirik Hoitomt (Norway) 44.5
11 Rik Depuydt (Belgium) 43
Photo Caption: Finland’s Mika Forss celebrates with a ‘dab’ after his third straight win in the 2017 World Driving Championship during second leg action at Mohawk Racetrack. (New Image Media)
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