Three-year-old trotting fillies were the stars of the show Thursday evening at Flamboro Downs, as Canada’s fastest half-miler hosted the final Grassroots event of the season leading up to this year’s Semi-Finals.
Flexible Woman was treated to a second-over trip in the first division, and she didn’t let it go to waste. Steve Byron tipped off cover late and the daughter of Federal Flex-Womanlee used a :30.1 closing panel to win by a neck over a dead-game Viva Bayama. Magic Factory was a lapped-on third in the $18,000 affair.
It was the fourth win of the season in 16 starts for the John Bax-trained homebred pupil, who races for Glengate Farms of Campbellville and Parkhill Stud Farm of Peterborough, Ontario. The lion’s share of the loot lifted her lifetime earnings to $91,077.
Mystical Wishes also turned a second-over trip into a victory in her division for driver Doug McNair and trainer Tony Alagna. The daughter of Muscle Mass-Caseys Lil Lane watched Erin Hall thrown down fractions of :28.2, :59.2 and 1:29.2 before launching off cover and trotting home in :29.2 en route to the 1:59 score. She was three-quarters of a length better than Serendipitious, with Ja El Diamond a well-beaten third.
Sent off as the 7-5 favourite, Mystical Wishes improved her 2014 record to 7-0-0 from 12 starts for partners Mystical Marker Farms LLC of Dyer and Peggy Hood of Valparaiso, Indiana. The $9,000 payday bumped her bankroll to $57,740.
Lenny Mac went to the front and didn’t look back en route to a 2:00 triumph for driver Scott Coulter and trainer Bob McIntosh. The daughter of Kadabra-Lend A Hand led the field through intervals of :30.1, 1:01.1 and 1:30.2 before kicking home in :29.3 to win by three lengths over Osprey Impact. Do The Wheelhouse tagged along to grab the show dough.
Robert McIntosh Stables Inc of Windsor and Earl Hill Jr of Ohsweken, Ontario own the homebred who improved this year’s record to 3-3-0 from 13 starts with the win. The six-time winner has banked $87,099 to date.
Stormont Kate pulled off a stunning upset in her division, winning at odds of 69-1 for owner/trainer/driver Bruce Richardson of Arthur, Ontario. She sliced out splits of :29, :59.2 and 1:28.3 before cruising home in :29.4 to win in 1:58.2. It was 1-1/4 lengths back to the odds-on favourite, Chelseas, with Torches Star rounding out the top three finishers.
The daughter of Kadabra-Princess Stormont now boasts a 2-1-2 record from 13 trips to the track this season. The five-time winner bumped her cash stash to $55,888 with the win.
Northern Secret also used front-stepping tactics to capture her division in 1:59.1 for Team Baillargeon. Driven by Mario Baillargeon, the daughter of Angus Hall-Northern Bacall led through fractions of :28.4, :59.2 and 1:29.1 before slipping home in a :30-second clip en route to the win by 1-1/4 lengths over Doweypuffandhow. Wawona came on strong in the lane to finish third.
Trainer Ben Baillargeon co-owns the two-time winner with Santo Vena of Brampton and Nunzio Vena of Bolton, Ontario. The partners watched the filly lift her lifetime earnings to $32,504 with the victory.
To view results for Thursday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Thursday Results – Flamboro Downs.