A pair of Preferred events headlined the Sunday evening (December 4) program of racing at Flamboro Downs, and Senior Market and Sportmanship were the combatants that came away victorious after their respective assignments.
Senior Market, a five-year-old gelded son of Blissfull Hall, kicked off the action first, as he took to the track for Race 5, the $7,500 Preferred 3 for horses and geldings.
Trained by Rebecca Titus and driven by Michael Whelan, Senior Market lined up in Post 4 and left out alertly. He grabbed the track and worked his way into the garden spot as the field was led to the opening quarter-mile marker.
Windsong Leo (driven by Dan O’Brian) was the one that led the field to the quarter – and he was the one that cut all the fractions (:28.1, :57.4, 1:26.4) for that matter. Whelan sat patiently in the two-hole as Nobettorplacetobe (Travis Cullen) came first-up from fourth and challenged the leader through the half and three quarters.
After the tussle on the engine, Whelan and Senior Market were in prime position to strike. The pair was just one length off the lead at the head of the lane. When all was said and done, the one-length disadvantage turned in a one and a quarter-length victorious margin. Windsong Leo just gave up the lead in the lane and settled for second. Ciona Bromach (Scott Coulter) had taken a second-over trip, which he converted to a third-place finish.
It was Senior Market’s :28.4 final quarter that sealed the victory for owners Steven Titus (of Hamburg, NY) and Frank Gallo (Woodbridge, Ont.). The win time was 1:55.4 and Senior Market returned $5.50 to those that backed him on a win wager.
The victory was the 12th of Senior Market’s 66-race career, which has seen him bank $103,710 in purse earnings. His 2016 slate now reads 4-6-3 from 28 starts and $50,675 in earnings.
Fast forward five races and it was the Carmen Auciello-trained and Travis Henry-driven Sportsmanship that was getting the job done in the $11,000 Preferred 2 Handicap for horses and geldings. The trio had clicked a week prior in the Preferred 3, and stepped it up with another sharp effort this Sunday.
The way the race unfolded was very similar to the way Senior Market’s tilt had earlier. Sportsmanship left alertly from Post 3 and worked out a two-hole trip through the fractions (:28, :57.4, 1:26.3). After a tussle up front, Sportsmanship pounced, engaged the leaders in the lane, and got up for a well-measured victory.
The horse that did the work on the front-end was Saulsbrook Peach (Robert Shepherd), while the horse that engaged the leader from a first-up attack was Boomboom Ballykeel (Alfie Carroll). Henry revved Sportsmanship up at the right time and got up for a one and three-quarter-length victory courtesy of a :28.1 final quarter. Saulsbrook Peach held on for second, while Boomboom Ballykeel finished right with him, but in third.
Auciello (as Auciello Stables, of Stouffville, Ont.) co-owns Sportsmanship along with Stephen Klunowski of North York, Ont. The four-year-old Sportswriter gelding notched his 12th career win on Sunday from what was his 55th career start. Thus far in 2016, Sportsmanship has assembled a slate of 8-2-1 from 32 starts and $65,930 in purses. He has now banked $178,220 in purses overall.
To view the harness racing results for Sunday at Flamboro, click the following link: Sunday Results – Flamboro Downs.