Pair Of Records Fall On OSS Elim Night

PlatoIronHorsePhotoedit.jpg

Plato lowered the track record for two-year-old trotting geldings with his 1:59.1 triumph in the fastest of three Ontario Sires Stakes Gold eliminations contested at Grand River Raceway on Wednesday

while Mystical Starlight put forth her own record-setting performance in the Preferred 2 Trot.

In the first $40,000 OSS elimination for freshmen trotting colts and geldings, 30-1 longshot Major Herbie was shuffled back to sixth but unleashed a :30.3 final frame to overcome his five length deficit and nip pacesetter Idle Time (Joe Hudon Jr.) at the wire in 2:01.2. Favourite Don Pietro (Mario Baillargeon) finished third off a pocket trip.

Trained and driven by Wayne Henry for the Henry Stable of Arthur, ON and Daniel McCann of Parkhill, ON, the son of Here Comes Herbie-Independent Dame notched his first career win and pushed his earnings to $21,200 after finishing fifth while debuting in a Grassroots event at Hiawatha Horse Park on July 15. Major Herbie was a $20,000 Canadian Open yearling.

Plato, the 7-2 third choice in the field, turned in his record-setting performance in the next elim for driver Trevor Ritchie and trainer Greg Johnson, who shares ownership with his father, George Johnson of Milton, ON. The Andover Image-Pom Derable colt advanced to the lead from third after the first quarter and held off the first over challenger, Sim Brown (Jody Jamieson), to win by a neck in 1:59.1. Ernie B Earnest held the former record, which was set at 2:01. Tymal Lennon (Stephen Byron) finished seven lengths back in third.

Plato earned his second win in three OSS outings and bumped his bankroll to $50,400. The gelding won his first Gold elimination in 1:58 at Mohawk on July 12 and finished fourth in the final (won by Buckhams Bay) the following week.

The undefeated Buckhams Bay was a gate-to-wire winner in the final elimination of the night for driver Jacques Hebert and trainer, owner and breeder John Smith of Woodlawn, ON. The pocket-sitting Whatabout Tom (Kelly Sheppard) finished two and a half lengths behind in second while Daylon Magician (Jack Moiseyev) followed in third.

Buckhams Bay, a son a Ken Warkentin-Merles Image, who won his previous OSS Gold elim and the final, is now three-for-three in his career with $105,000 banked. He is a half-brother to millionaire Mc Cooeye, sired by Shipps Speed.

Here is a look at the field for the $130,000 OSS Gold Final set for next Wednesday, August 4:

1. Don Pietro
2. Major Herbie
3. Plato
4. Idle Time
5. Whatabout Tom
6. Buckhams Bay
7. Tymal Lennon
8. Sim Brown
9. Daylon Magician

In Wednesday’s $10,500 Preferred 2 Trot, Mystical Starlight and driver Jody Jamieson converted from the pocket and edged out pacesetter Countess Stormont (Jonathan Drury) to win in 1:56.3. Favourite Chinnys Wings (Doug Bowins) was third.

Darren McCall trains the five-year-old Credit Winner-Miss Lovely mare, who lowered Gostreet’s former track record for aged trotting mares by two-fifths of a second and matched the all-age trotting mark of Abbey Road C, for owners Glen Hobbin and Ross Bradley of Stittsville, ON.

To view Wednesday's results, click here.

Have something to say about this? Log in or create an account to post a comment.