Haul Away captured his second consecutive Ontario Sires Stakes Gold final for rookie pacing colts with a sharp closing rally on Saturday night at Woodbine Racetrack
for driver Jody Jamieson.
The gelded son of Modern Art - Armbro Reno got away fifth in the early going and watched as elimination winner Grin For Money (Sylvain Filion) blasted to command from the outside Post 10 in a first quarter of :27.3. That son of Grinfromeartoear garnered respect in the second quarter and went unchallenged through an opening half of :56.2.
As the field entered the far turn, B P Chimo (Phil Hudon), last week’s other elimination winner, made the first move to the outside from fourth position and prompted the pacesetter through three-quarters in 1:24.4.
As the field turned for home, Grin For Money began to tire and drift wide. That left a seam at the inside for pocket-sitting Keystone Raptor (Jack Moiseyev), who began to close. Meanwhile, Jamieson was also able to find daylight with Haul Away on the outside and the strapping pacer came storming past rivals for the win in a career-best clocking of 1:53.
Keystone Raptor managed the place spot with Western Thorn (Mark MacDonald) rounding out the top three. The winner returned a generous $16.20 for the win.
It was the sixth win in 10 starts this season for Haul Away and the third in four starts since being purchased by current owners Larry Menary, Denis Breton, Phil Silvestri and Joseph Settimi and moved into the care of David Menary. The winner’s share of the purse boosted his seasonal earnings to just over $183,000.
The victory, which came on the heels of a Gold final win at Rideau Carleton Raceway, also solidified Haul Away’s position in the top 10 in the OSS point standings, ensuring a spot in the $300,000 Super Finals on November 14 at Woodbine.
Ideal Race used an eye-catching off-the-pace rally to post a 26-1 upset in tonight’s $130,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold final for three-year-old colt and gelding pacers.
Luc Ouellette engineered the winning trip from Post 3 with the son of Western Terror - Eidette Hanover, who got away sixth in the early stages in the field of 10. Ideal Race watched as Primary Purpose (Mark MacDonald) and Shipps Xpectancy (Jack Moiseyev) exchanged leads through an opening half in :55.1.
Mild Mannered (Randy Waples) started the outside flow in the third quarter, followed by race favourite Fast Pay (Paul MacDonell) with Ideal Race following third-over as the field entered the far turn. Ideal Race was still sixth on the outside, and five lengths off the lead, as the third marker came up in 1:23.4.
As the field turned for home, Fast Pay tipped three-wide and was expected to surge past, but came up flat for MacDonell. Ideal Race was full of pace, however, and exploded off that one’s back to win in 1:52 by 1-1/4 lengths at the finish.
One More Drink (Sylvain Filion) weaved through traffic late to pick up the place spot with Stonebridge Terror (Mike Saftic) rounding out the top three. Ideal Race returned a whopping $54.30 for the win.
It was the sixth win in 17 trips postward this season for the Tracy Brainard pupil who is owned by Bulletproof Enterprises of Boca Raton, Florida. The winner’s share of the purse boosted his career bankroll to just over $174,000.
The win also helped secure a spot in the $300,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final on November 14 at Woodbine.
Older pacers also had a chance to shine in the spotlight on Saturday night in a pair of Opens.
In the $35,000 Four-Year-Old Open Pace, Dinner Guest earned his third straight win for teamster Mark MacDonald and trainer Casie Coleman.
The No Pan Intended - Beach Guest gelding claimed the lead from Post 2 as Panda Bear (Billy Davis) filled the pocket after leaving effectively from the outside nine-hole. Dinner Guest took the field to the first quarter in :26.1 before yielding to favourite Dali (Luc Ouellette) at the :54.2 half.
Dinner Guest stalked the new leader through three-quarters in 1:22.3 before launching his attack in the stretch. The 2-1 second choice matched strides with Dali in mid-stretch and poked a neck in front at the wire for the 1:51.1 score. Anderlecht (Jody Jamieson) rounded out the top three.
Owned by Steve Calhoun and Mike Lindley of Chatham, Ont., Dinner Guest notched his sixth win in 24 starts this season lifting his earnings to $117,355. The bay’s 14th lifetime victory pushed his bankroll to $188,844.
Millionaire pacer Bigtime Ball earned yet another victory in the $50,000 Open.
With Roger Mayotte in the bike, the five-year-old son of Presidential Ball - Keystone Trinidad fired off a :25.4 opening quarter after leaving from the outside Post 5. Mayotte directed the odds-on favourite through middle splits of :54 and 1:22.2 while working up a three and three-quarter length lead on the field. The Gord Irwin pupil then coasted home in :28-seconds to win by two lengths in 1:50.2.
Longshot Royal Becquet (Mike Saftic) rallied from the back of the pack to get second and Hyperion Hanover (Rick Zeron) flipped off second-over cover in the stretch to grab third.
Last week, Bigtime Ball, who is owned by the Irwin Stables Inc. of Cobourg, Ont., went over the $1 million earnings milestone when he dead-heated for second by a neck to Ramegade Bruiser. Tonight’s win was Bigtime Ball’s 25th of his career and improved his seasonal record to 12-5-0 in 19 starts giving him $421,692 in earnings.
To view Saturday’s harness racing results, click here.