2, 1:55.4 ($488,183)
Yankee Glide – Dance To Market – Balanced Image
2009 summary: 8 – 6-0-0 ($488,183)
Trainer: Ervin Miller
Drivers: Tim Tetrick, Jody Jamieson
Owners: Brittany Farms (KY), Blue Chip Bloodstock Inc. (NY), Il Villaggio Partners (KY)
Breeders: Diane Ingham & Harry Rutherford (ON)
This slick-gaited youngster made the most of limited opportunities in his first season at the races in 2009.
The son of Yankee Glide - Dance To Market, who was a $100,000 yearling purchase, did not start his career with a bang. In fact, he made a break in stride in his first try and ultimately finished sixth.
He bounced back in his very next start to easily win a New Jersey Sire Stakes division at The Meadowlands in 1:55.4. Il Villaggio followed that victory with a come-from-behind win, where he rallied from seventh in the $200,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes final in 1:56.
He took a month off and then resurfaced in early September in a $114,667 division of the Champlain Stakes where he scored easily in 1:56.1. From there, he would go on to win both his elimination and the $515,000 William Wellwood Memorial final on September 20 at Mohawk Racetrack in 1:56.
The colt’s sixth win of the season came on October 1 in Lexington when he cruised to a 5-1/4 length victory in a $83,600 division of the Bluegrass Stakes at The Red Mile.
2, 1:56.2s ($377,126)
Kadabra – Dial Nile – Super Bowl
2009 summary: 13 – 3-7-2 ($377,126)
Trainer: Bob McIntosh
Drivers: Randy Waples, Steve Condren
Owners: Robert McIntosh Stables Inc. (ON), C S X Stables (OH), Dave Boyle (ON)
Breeders: Robert McIntosh Stables Inc. (ON), S X Stables (OH)
In the history of the Ontario Sires Stakes, few have had a more storied career than conditioner Bob McIntosh. The Windsor-based conditioner enjoyed another outstanding season in the OSS program in 2009 and a big reason why was the success of Text Me.
The rookie son of Kadabra - Dial Nile took six starts to win his first race of the season but finally broke through with an OSS Gold elimination victory on August 23 at Mohawk Racetrack in 1:58.1. He carried that momentum into the Gold final and won convincingly in 1:57.3.
Text Me continued his productive form with a second-place finish behind fellow O’Brien finalist Il Villaggio in a $114,667 Champlain Stakes division at Mohawk and then back-to-back runner-up finishes in the last two Gold final events of the season - one at Rideau Carleton Raceway in Ottawa and the other at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto.
The colt finished second in the OSS point standings, guaranteeing himself a spot in the $300,000 Super Final on November 14. He made the most of it with an authoritative front-end victory in 1:56.2 which would go down as his season’s record.
Who do you think will win? If you haven't voted yet, head over to the 2009 O'Brien poll.