Two-year-old trotting filly Charmed Life beguiled Rideau Carleton Raceway fans on Friday night with an impressive Ontario Sires Stakes Gold elimination victory that saw her hit the wire just shy of the track record.
Stephen Byron positioned Charmed Life behind the number five on the Rideau Carleton starting gate and landed in third through the early going. See You In Spring handled the early pace, rolling by the :28.1 quarter, but Byron had the fan favourite on the move by the time the leader reached the :59.2 half and Charmed Life had things well in hand by the 1:28 three-quarters.
Charmed Life sailed home a one and one-quarter length winner in 1:57.4, just off the 1:57.3 freshman trotting filly record shared by last season’s Gold Series stars Circles and Miss Paris. See You In Spring earned the second-place finisher’s share, holding off a fast closing Wind Stroll.
Peterborough, Ont. resident John Bax conditions Charmed Life for his partners Goin To The Show Stable of Peterborough, Dale Debnam of Lindsay, Ont. and John Houston of Cobourg, Ont. Friday’s win was the Majestic Son daughter’s second of the season, with the other coming in the July 22 Gold Final at Flamboro Downs. Through six Gold Series starts the filly, a $15,000 purchase from the 2011 Canadian Yearling Sale, now has two wins, two seconds, one third and one fourth for earnings of $120,200.
Driver Trevor Henry was aboard the other two Gold elimination winners, guiding both Angies Lucky Star and Legzy to matching 1:59.4 clockings.
In the first $40,000 split, Henry had to steer around the breaking Carmen in the early stages of the race, but was able to land Angies Lucky Star on the front end. Angies Lucky Star rang up a :59.4 half and 1:30 three-quarters and then battled down the stretch to a nose victory over Frisky Magic. Candida finished third, three and one-half lengths behind the dueling leaders.
The reinsman’s wife Shannon Henry trains Angies Lucky Star, who was also a $15,000 acquisition out of last year’s Canadian Yearling Sale. The Angus Hall filly started her Ontario Sires Stakes career with a win in the July 5 Grassroots season opener at Kawartha Downs and earned her second with a Gold elimination win at Flamboro Downs on July 15. Trevor Henry Stables Inc. of Arthur, Ont. and Daniel McCann of Parkhill, Ont. share ownership of the youngster, who bumped her earnings to $55,712 with Friday’s win.
Aboard Legzy in the second Gold elimination, Henry landed the fan favourite in third as Massmanian Devil stepped out to a :30 quarter and 1:00.3 half. The reinsman once again had to do some deft steering when Motown Muscle went off stride right in front of Legzy, but the pair was just two lengths behind Massmanian Devil when she reached the 1:30.2 half. Legzy and Henry had narrowed the margin to half a length by the time they turned for home and the filly sprinted down the stretch to a half-length victory. Brenway Dixie closed hard to be second, leaving Massmanian Devil to settle for third.
Henry crafted the win for trainer Rob Fellows of Rockwood, Ont. and owner-breeders Edward Wilson of Seagrave, Ont. and Michael Pozefsky of Saratoga Springs, New York. Legzy swept her elimination and the final of the Gold Series season opener at Kawartha Downs and also posted a Gold elimination win at Mohawk Racetrack on Aug. 2. Her other three Gold Series starts saw the daughter of Amigo Hall and Sahalee post two seconds and one third for earnings of $183,100.
The top three finishers from each Gold elimination will be back at Rideau Carleton Raceway next Friday, Aug. 24 for the fourth Gold Final on their schedule.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Rideau Carleton Raceway.
(OSS)