Canadians Rule Ohio Sires Stakes
The Canadian-based partnership of trainer Jason McGinnis and drivers James and Anthony MacDonald teamed up to capture three of five $40,000 Ohio Sires Stakes contests for two-year-old trotting fillies on Wednesday evening (July 3) at Northfield Park.
McGinnis and James MacDonald scored their first triumph with 1-5 favourite Spend That Money in a wire-to-wire effort in 1:58.3. The Uncle Peter lass made just her second career start for Thestable Spend Thatmoney of Guelph, Ont. Bred by Cornerstone Stock Farm of Indiana, Spend That Money is out of the Muscles Yankee mare Spend It In, and now has $23,100 in career earnings. She had won her debut at Northfield on June 26 in similar style in 2:01.1.
Spend That Money finished 3-3/4 lengths ahead of 15-1 Evita (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.), with 60-1 long shot Pearls N Coins (Tony Hall) garnering show honours.
The McGinnis-James MacDonald team returned to the winner’s circle with 7-5 Compass Rose DC, another Uncle Peter filly making her career debut. Owned by Thestable Compass Rose Dc, she also used front-stepping tactics to secure a 1:59.4 victory. Bred by Ohio’s Steiner Stock Farm, she is the fourth daughter of the Andover Hall mare Pacific Legacy.
Electric Rose (Aaron Merriman) was also sent off at odds of 7-5 and was second best, while 4-1 Sabia Dream (Charlie Norris) survived an early break to garner a third-place cheque.
The McGinnis-Anthony MacDonald team saved the best for last, however, as Globetrotting powered to a 1:57.3 victory. The Manofmanymissions lass was impressive not only in stride, but had a knowing presence upon entering the Northfield winner’s circle as the 7-2 choice. Anthony MacDonald sent his charge right to the top, winning by a comfortable length with a :28.1 final brush over 3-5 Kikimora (Aaron Merriman), while 7-2 Guinever Hall (Peter Wrenn) got up for third.
Globetrotting, who now owns a bankroll of $24,700 for Thestable Globetrotting, was also bred by Steiner Stock Farm and is the fifth foal out of the Andover Hall mare Celebrity Deville.
Trainer Chris Beaver captured the other two sires stakes divisions, with Lima Gold and Delovely Hall.
Lima Gold, sent off at 5-2 with Ronnie Wrenn Jr. in the sulky, made her pari-mutuel debut, trotting easily to a 1:58.3 effort. On the front end throughout, Lima Gold held off 6-1 Jogging Ms Lucy, who was given a perfect two-hole trip by driver Kurt Sugg, while 6-5 favourite Miss Stunner (Chris Page) got up for third. Owned by Spaaaartners and bred by Willis Miller, Lima Gold is a daughter of Coraggioso, out of the Jailhouse Jesse mare Lima Halo.
North America’s leading driver Aaron Merriman then steered Renee Bercury’s Delovely Hall to a 1:57.3 triumph as the 4-5 favourite. The big filly overtook and bested 12-1 rival Alesund (Anthony MacDonald) in the final strides by three-quarters of a length, while 6-1 Champagne On Ice (Ronnie Wrenn, Jr.) finished third.
Bred by Walnut Hall Limited, Delovely Hall now has $21,550 in her career coffers. This hefty and long-striding daughter by the ill-fated Cash Hall is the fifth foal out of the Amigo Hall mare Daylon Mystique.
Training triple for McGinnis and TheStable.ca in Ohio Sires Stakes
TheStable.ca, horse racing’s fastest-growing fractional ownership stable, added a training triple to its impressive start to the 2019 stakes season.
Jason McGinnis conditions the Ohio freshmen and sophomores for TheStable.ca. On July 3, he sent four two-year-olds postward in four $40,000 divisions of the Ohio Sires Stakes at Northfield Park.
Spend That Money wired the field to win her second race in as many outings in 1:58.3. James MacDonald drove the Uncle Peter filly. She was an $11,500 yearling purchase for TheStable.ca at the Ohio Select Sale and is currently owned by 24 clients of the fractional ownership operation.
McGinnis missed a fourth win by less than a length in division three when 12-1 Alesund cut the mile and fought to hold on for the win but succumbed to Delovely Hall and finished second.
The 1:57.3 mile in that division set a new North America season’s record for a half-mile track, but TheStable.ca’s Manofmanymissions filly Globetrotting quickly matched the mark in division five. Anthony MacDonald drove the trotter to a one-length score, her second win in as many starts. She was a $21,000 yearling purchase for clients of TheStable.ca at the Ohio Select Sale and is currently owned by 18 clients.
Compass Rose DC is owned by 15 clients of TheStable.ca and was a $16,000 yearling purchase. She won her first outing by nearly three lengths in 1:59.4 with James MacDonald.
Earlier in the day, TheStable.ca won a division of the PA Stallion Series at The Meadows. Ill Play It Alone hung on to win by a nose with Anthony MacDonald for trainer Tim Twaddle in the $20,000 dash. The 1:54.4 score was the pacer's first win in two tries for 32 clients who own the Somebeachsomewhere gelding which was purchased for $14,000 as a yearling in Harrisburg.
In the past week, TheStable.ca has campaigned 46 starters (including 33 freshmen) at 11 tracks throughout Canada and the U.S., recording nine wins and 24 top-three finishes while tying a world record and setting or equalling a trio of season’s records for its 680 clients located in 11 countries wordwide.
(With files from Ohio Sires Stakes and TheStable.ca)