Driver Jody Jamieson swept a pair of $30,000 Willowdale Stakes eliminations for four-year-olds with Sparky Mark and Good Bad Lucky on Saturday
at Woodbine Racetrack.
Sparky Mark led from wire-to-wire while Good Bad Lucky wore down the race leader at the wire in their respective eliminations.
Sparky Mark worked his way to the lead in the first elimination, reaching the first quarter in :27.4, followed by the half in :56.3. As he headed to the next marker in 1:24.1, Oakmont (Simon Allard) went first up from fourth with even-money favourite Twin B Warrior (Randy Waples) following.
Sparky Mark was put to pressure in the final eighth of a mile by Oakmont and Twin B Warrior rallying off cover, but he held on to win in 1:52.3 by half a length. Twin B Warrior grabbed second over Oakmont.
The winner paid $5 as the 3-2 second choice in the field. Sparky Mark is now two-for-two in 2011 with $26,000 banked for trainer Mark Austin and owner-breeder Leo Thibodeau of Windsor, Ont. The son of Astreos-Luckbealadytonite, a two-time winner of the Autumn Stakes who finished third in his last start of 2010 in the Valedictory, has won eight times in his career to earn $141,340.
Leaving from Post 5, Good Bad Lucky reached the first quarter in :27.3 with Jackets Required (Randy Waples) rushing up to take over around the first turn.
Good Bad Lucky followed the new leader through middle fractions of :56 and 1:23.4 before launching his attack in the stretch. The son of Camluck-Our May West got up to score by a half-length in 1:51.2. Fan favourite Art Professor (Mario Baillargeon) finished over two lengths back in third.
Good Bad Lucky paid $5.20 to win as the 8-5 second choice. David Menary trains the gelding, who notched his first win in two starts this year, for Burke Racing Stable LLC of Fredericktown and Weaver Bruscemi LLC of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. Good Bad Lucky, a close runner-up in his division’s Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots Championship last season, has won 11 times in his career to earn $195,905.
Jamieson ended the 13-race program with four wins while trainer David Menary had three.
Here is a look at the field for next week's $100,000 Willowdale final:
1. Jackets Required
2. Twin B Warrior
3. Good Bad Lucky
4. Sparky Mark
5. Malicious
6. Village Beaet
7. Art Professor
8. Here We Go Again
9. Aled Hanover
10. Oakmont
To view Saturday’s results, click here.