Driver James MacDonald worked a perfect second-over trip for 2-5 favourite Adare Castle and, once tipped off a helmet, demolished her competition to win the $225,000 Ontario Sires Stake Super Final for two-year-old trotting fillies on Saturday (Oct. 16) at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Grace fired from the inside to protect position while Dabra Day battled forward when leaving from post 10 to the first turn. By the quarter in :27.4, Dabra Day forged to the lead while Mischevious Rose sat in third and Adare Castle raced fifth before MacDonald got underway with the Mark Etsell trainee. She journeyed uncovered into a :57 half and managed to flush cover from Mischevious Rose to the final turn, who then towed the chalk within a length of the lead to three-quarters in 1:27.1.
Mischevious Rose easily put away Dabra Day off the turn and dove to the pylons in the straightaway. Adare Castle meanwhile braved the stretch headwind and swept to the front in a matter of strides, opening her advantage through the final eighth and to the end of a 1:56.3 mile. Mischevious Rose settled for second while Needa Little Magic split horses late for third and Resolving rallied from third over for fourth.
“It was a perfect trip for her,” said trainer Mark Etsell, who’s having a career-best season now with over $700,000 in his stable’s purse earnings. “When she kicks off cover, she can really cover ground, and she likes that. She’s really a laid-back, lazy filly. I know she shows on [the] front a few times, but she’s really lazy. The lines just drew her there. But when she comes off cover, she’s got a pretty good kick.”
Winning her seventh race from nine starts, Adare Castle has now banked $486,037 for owners Mark Etsell, Robert Newton, Graham Hopkins and Peter Porter. The Muscle Mass filly paid $2.90 to win.
Be sure to check out the rest of the recaps in the 2021 Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final News Centre.