If you’re a fan of trotters, then Woodbine Racetrack was the place to be on Monday evening. The Rexdale, Ont. oval hosted the $60,000 final of the Lifetime Dream Stakes plus a set of $40,000 Glorys Comet Stakes elim
inations.
PJs Photo, who was a 1:56.1 in her elimination last Monday evening, was a dominant winner in the final of the Lifetime Dream Stakes for Paul MacDonell - the regular reinsman behind the series’ namesake.
MacDonell tucked PJs Photo into the three-hole in the early stages of the mile while Jettalady rolled the field past the quarter pole in a :28-second clip. Jettalady had the ball in her court through panels of :58 and 1:27, but she did so while feeling first-over pressure from PJs Photo. Those two were on even terms at the head of the lane before MacDonell took over and drew away with PJs Photo in an eye-catching clocking of 1:55.3. The effort shaved one-fifth of a second off Kandor Hanover’s 2010 stakes record of 1:55.4.
Classic Alana, who was fourth over around the final turn, used a :27.3 final frame to grab the runner-up award. Miss Dangles rounded out the top three finishers in the rich trotting tilt.
Bred and owned by Pius Soehnlen of Canton, OH, PJs Photo extended her winning streak to six-in-a-row with the victory, and she improved her lifetime record to 8-2-1 from 13 starts. The $30,000 payday boosted her lifetime earnings to $77,563.
Glorys Comet Elims To San Pail and Action Broadway
Action Broadway vaulted off cover turning for home and then used a :27.3 final quarter kick to earn a 1:54.3 victory in the opening elimination of the Glorys Comet Stakes for driver Rick Zeron and trainer Gregg McNair.
The four-year-old daughter of Broadway Hall, who set a Canadian record last season at Mohawk in a division of the Casual Breeze Stakes, drew off to win by 1-1/2 lengths over Armbro Chronicle. Before He Cheats, who was sent off as the 4/5 favourite, was third.
Sent off as a 12-1 outsider in five-horse affair, Action Broadway became a 10-time winner while bumping her lifetime earnings to $317,525 for owner/breeder Ken Sommer of Sheffield, OH.
San Pail extended his winning streak to eight-in-a-row for the team of driver Randy Waples and trainer Rod Hughes, who shares ownership on the trotting terror with the gelding’s breeder, Glenn Van Camp of Port Perry, ON.
Up Front Ben took the group of seven by the opening marker in :26.4 before being looped in the backstretch by Define The World. As soon as Define The World moved to the lead, Waples called on San Pail to make a backstretch move of his own – and in a matter of strides he was on top as the field hit the half in :56.1. San Pail sailed by the three-quarter pole in 1:24.2 and then used a :29.2 final frame to seal the deal in 1:53.4. It was 4-1/2 lengths back to runner-up Structure Fire, with Define The World finishing third.
The victory was the 36th lifetime tally for San Pail, who assembled a 13-1-0 record from 15 assignments last season. The O’Brien Award finalist has stashed away earnings of $1,731,465.
The top five finishers from each of the eliminations will advance to next Monday’s final. Elimination winners earned the right to select a post position for the final. Here’s how they’ll line up on the starting gate:
$125,000 Glorys Comet Stakes Final
1. Armbro Chronicle
2. Structure Fire
3. Action Broadway
4. San Pail
5. Pembroke Prayer
6. Easy Dream
7. Manningly
8. Define The World
9. Triumphant Caviar
10. Before He Cheats
To view Monday’s results, click here.