It wasn’t a good night for the favourites in Thursday’s O.S.S. Gold Series divisions for three-year-old pacing fillies at Mohawk Racetrack, but you won’t hear the connections of Soiree Seelster or Blameitonthenight doing any complaining.
Soiree Seelster captured her $95,600 division for driver Sylvain Filion in 1:52.2. The daughter of Big Jim-Smilesplace sat a pocket trip behind race favourite Windy Sport. That foe carved out fractions of :26.4, :56.2 and 1:24.3 before fading out of contention. Soiree Seelster shot through an opening at the rail and fired home in :27.2 to win by two lengths over Roselily. Action Majesty was third.
“I had to risk it,” said Filion of his trip. “I didn’t want to overdrive her, and I was just hoping to get some room down the lane. I was lucky enough opened up.”
Tony O’Sullivan trains the filly for his Osullivan Racing Inc and partners Domenic Chiaravalle and Lorne Keller. It was the first win of the season in three attempts for the four-time winner. The lion’s share of the purse bumped her lifetime earnings to $189,682.
“It’s a good group, Domenic and Lorne are easy to train for, and we all think the same,” said O’Sullivan. “It’s a good partnership.”
Last season the partners agreed to stop with Soiree Seelster after just four starts, in spite of a record of three wins -- including two Gold Series victories -- and one third. The daughter of Big Jim and Smilesplace was suffering a few growing pains and O’Sullivan, Chiaravalle and Keller felt her talent warranted caution and a focus on the big picture.
“We just decided that it would be better to put her away and let her regroup for this year,” recalled O’Sullivan. “I would have been able to get her to the Super Final, but because I thought she was a good filly I didn’t want to do anything that might hurt her for this year.”
The biggest upset of the night was the one turned in by Blameitonthenight in her $96,400 division. Jonathan Drury got away fourth with the 53-1 shot, but he had her on the move first-over on the way to the half. Yaris Bayama and race favourite The Joy Luck Club took turns on the lead through panels of :27.1, :54.4 and 1:23.4, but Blameitonthenight never threw in the towel and got up in the closing strides to win by a nose over Yaris Bayama. Dudesalady edged out Aint Three OK for the show dough.
“I was really hoping not to be first over, but they were rolling along pretty good and mine felt great, and I figured they might come back to me a little bit,” said Drury from the winner’s circle. “She’s a real tough little filly and I’ve seen her grind it out first over before, and I was hoping she could do it again.”
Tony Alagna trains the daughter of Mach Three-What Could Be for his Alagna Racing LLC, Crawford Farms Racing and Donna Lee. The four-time winner, who is 1-for-3 this season, bumped her overall cash stash to $189,397 with the victory.
To view results for Thursday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Thursday Results – Mohawk Racetrack.
For the official judges' report from Thursday's card, click the following link: Judges' Report - Mohawk - June 1.
(with files from OSS)