It was upset city for the three-year-old trotting fillies as they took part in a set of $94,000 OSS Gold Series divisions to wrap up their regular season during Tuesday’s card of racing at The Raceway at Western Fair District.
Apprentice M got the longshot train rolling with her 20-1 stunner in the opening division for driver Paul MacDonell and trainer John Bax.
Byron found himself parked by Zorgwijk Sophia to the quarter pole in :28.1 before backing off and taking the two-hole trip. Zorgwijk Sophia was in command at the half in :59.1, but she came under fierce pressure from race favourite Illusioneesta in the backstretch. A neck separated them at the three-quarter pole in 1:29.3, but both fillies would eventually make breaks.
It left the door wide open for MacDonell and Apprentice M to gain the lead and then stave off late pressure from Miller Time by three-quarters of a length in a time of 2:01. Illusioneesta reset from her miscue and managed to salvage the show dough in the five-filly affair.
“That’s why they race horses,” said the philosophical MacDonell. “She’s pretty solid gaited, which helps on the half-mile track, and then as you saw, things worked out.
“She just hasn’t really kicked in like she probably should have, but again I think she’s got $100,000 made, so it’s hard to knock her,” he added. “It’s late in the season and a few of the fillies are getting tired and stuff, so you can take advantage of that sometimes.”
Menhammar Stuteri AB of Paris, KY owns the daughter of Kadabra-Christina M. It was the first win of the season in 13 attempts for the two-time winner who now boasts a career bankroll of $191,750.
Collateral Beauty, also sent off as the second longest shot on the board in her division, captured the second tilt in 1:59.2 for the tandem of driver Louis Philippe Roy and trainer Herb Holland.
The daughter of Kadabra-Full Tank shot to the top and successfully marched the field through fractions of :29, :59 and 1:28.4 before using a :30.3 closing panel to seal the deal. She drew away to win by a pair of lengths over Magical Lady. Town Hall Justice was a well beaten third.
“She’s a little bit of a lazy filly, but looking at her lines, it seems like she takes her job a little more seriously when there’s big money on the line,” said Roy, who was making his first appearance in the filly’s race bike. “Herb told me she’s better when you put her into play right off the gate, so that was the plan today and it worked good.”
Carolyn MacIsaac of Milton, Ont. owns the three-time winner who nabbed her second Gold Series score of the season. The lion’s share of the loot pushed her seasonal earnings well over $100,000 while her lifetime total climbed to $151,254.
Tuesday’s program also featured the opening leg of the Autumn Series for filly and mare pacers, with a four-pack of $8,500 divisions on tap.
Come On Over rallied from a two-hole trip and hauled home a 2:03.3 triumph in the first division. Travis Henry clicked with the odds-on favourite, who defeated Play Girl ad Lovely Donna.
Trainer Scott McNiven co-owns the two-year-old daughter of Badlands Hanover-Odds On Whitey with Shirley Griffin and Thomas Brodhurst. She boasts a 1-1-0 record from six starts plus earnings in excess of $9,000.
So Frisky was a wire-to-wire winner in her assignment for driver Alfie Carroll. The rookie daughter of Dali-Beauty Delight sped through panels of :28.3, :59.2 and 1:29 before stopping the clock in 1:59.1. She won by 3-1/4 lengths over Eataams Ellie. Third prize went to Justsayyouloveme.
Anita Ouellette trains the homebred for Luc Ouellette of Campbellville, Ont. and Paul Bernard of Saint-Hyacinthe, QC. It was a maiden-breaking score for the freshman who was the runner-up in all three of her previous outings.
Three Rocks lost her maiden status thanks to a 2:01.2 victory in front-stepping fashion in the third division. Louis Philippe Roy hustled her through splits of :29.3, 1:01.1 and 1:31.2 before kicking home in :30 to win by a length over Charms Little Sis. Taking home the show dough was Full Moon Fix.
Jean Guy Belliveau trains the two-year-old daughter of Mach Three-Rock Broker for Sue Danko, Luke Denaeyer and Brittany Denaeyer. She pushed her earnings over $9,000 in the process.
Manhattan Night survived a first-over trip to win the final division in 1:59.3 for driver Natasha Day. The undefeated homebred drew clear to win by 2-1/2 lengths over Keep Focused. Rounding out the Trifecta ticket was Mary Read.
Trainer Anita Ouellette celebrated her second win in the series with the two-year-old who is owned by Luc Ouellette Incorporated and Alan Alber. Now 2-for-2 to kick off her career, Manhattan Night pushed her cash stash to $7,750 with the win.
Regal Luck captured Tuesday’s $8,500 Fillies & Mares Preferred 3 for pacers, and she did so in come-from-behind fashion for teamster Scott Young.
Sent off at odds of 6-1, the John Smith trainee made a three-wide bid at the three-quarter pole en route to winning by a half-length margin over race favourite Rubis Prescott in 1:56.3. Shewearsthepants took home third prize.
The victory pushed Regal Luck over $300,000 in career earnings for owner/breeder John Smith, Jr. of Burford, Ont. She’s now 5-for-27 on the season and 33-for-187 in her career.
(Quotes from OSS)
To view results for Tuesday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Tuesday Results – The Raceway at Western Fair District.