One week after driver James MacDonald swept Tuesday's Preferred events at The Raceway at Western Fair District, he turned the trick yet again with another Preferred double.
Ostinato was returning to the $10,000 Fillies & Mares Preferred 2 Pace after winning last week's edition, but was given second billing by the betting public in favour of Woodbine shipper Perfectly Royal (Doug McNair). Perfectly Royal was sent to the front by McNair but pestered for the lead by 2013's WFD Horse of the Year Rachel Olivia (Alfie Carroll).
With those two slugging it out on the front, the chances to pounce from off the pace were good and that's exactly what MacDonald did. Setting up three wide around the final turn but only two lengths from the lead, MacDonald tipped Ostinato off cover in the lane and the mare responded with a swift brush to power past the leaders and hit the wire three parts of a length the best in 1:57.2
Andro Madi, the horse that provided Ostinato the cover around the final turn, managed to finish second for Robert Shepherd with Rachel Olivia fighting valiantly for show honours.
Jim Wellwood trains and co-owns Ostinato (Western Terror-Rojens Patriot) along with son Jeff. In eight seasonal starts, the eight-year-old pacing mare has five wins and never finished out of the top three.
The next race was the class below, $7,000 Filles & Mares Preferred 3 Pace and MacDonaldreturned to the winner's circle with St Lads Zena. Using rail position to obtain the early advantage, St Lads Zena paced through sensible fractions of
:28, 58.2 and 1:27.2 before scampering home in :29.3 to trip the timer in 1:57. Cards That Count (Nick Steward) followed in the pocket the entire trip but wasn't able to close on the leader, finishing second by just more than two lengths with Mother Hen (Mike Sumner) completing the triactor.
St Lads Zena (Apaches Fame - Natural Ingredient) notched her first win of the 2014 campaign for trainer Nick Gallucci, who co-owns the pacing mare with Bruno Didiomede of Hamilton, Ont.
Before the Preferreds were raced, Hall Oak sent a shockwave throughout the Western Fair grandstand by lighting up the toteboard in Race 4. Rob Sparling Jr. guided the nine-year-old son of Blissfull Hall, who hadn't won since March 2013, to victory at odds of 136-1. Hall Oak paid 274.20 to win.
For the full results and pari-mutuel payouts from Tuesday's card of harness racing at Western Fair, click the following link: Tuesday Results - Western Fair.