Wednesday’s Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Final at Windsor Raceway is the second last start of the season for the province’s elite three-year-old trotting fillies, and owner Esa Lahtinen feels elimination winner Random Destiny is peaking at the perfect time
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“She looks like she is getting better and better right now. She looks so fresh,” said Lahtinen, who shares ownership of the filly with trainer Riina Rekila through their Overseas Farms Ltd. of Campbellville, Ont. “And Riina is telling me she feels better and better all the time, this horse.”
With Rekila in the bike, Random Destiny reeled in reigning Gold Final champion Emmylou Who through the stretch in the Oct. 27 Gold elimination, stopping the clock at 1:56.2.
The daughter of Ken Warkentin and Front Porch Swing will make her bid for a third straight victory from Post 3 in Wednesday’s Gold Final, the best post she has had in an Ontario Sires Stakes Final since July.
“She usually has so bad post positions always,” noted Lahtinen. “I think she is going to have a good start in the Final, and hopefully in the Super Final also.”
Second by a nose in her elimination for the Gold Series season opener at Mohawk Racetrack in May, Random Destiny captured the first Gold Final by a neck in spite of starting from the outside Post 10. Through the next three Gold Finals she landed a Post 3 at Georgian Downs in June, a Post 7 back at Mohawk in August, and an outside Post 8 at Rideau Carleton Raceway on Sept. 23.
With a record of two wins, three seconds, two thirds and two fourths in nine Ontario Sires Stakes starts, Random Destiny has accumulated 215 points and sits second in the sophomore trotting filly division standings, 35 points behind top ranked Emmylou Who. The top 10 point earners advance to the post season Super Final, contested on Nov. 13 at Woodbine Racetrack and worth a total of $300,000.
Lahtinen and Rekila would love to see the filly earn a sizeable share of the season finale’s purse, and have tailored Random Destiny’s training regimen accordingly.
“We have not raced her too much, and Riina is not training her so hard,” explained Lahtinen. “Overnight, she is outside. She is only inside, in the barn, for seven or eight hours in the day time.”
In addition to her success in the Ontario Sires Stakes program, Random Destiny captured the $168,383 Standardbred Breeders of Ontario Association Stake at Mohawk on Aug. 27 and finished fourth in the $239,786 Simcoe Stake at the Campbellville oval one week later. Through 15 sophomore starts she boasts a record of four wins, three seconds and two thirds for earnings of $275,923. At two Random Destiny took home one Grassroots trophy, three Gold elimination trophies and one Gold Final trophy, banking $200,300 in 11 starts.
“It’s a good place Ontario,” said Lahtinen, a native of Finland. “She has not won all her races, but she has made almost half a million and she has never left Ontario.”
Lahtinen and Rekila intend to race Random Destiny again next season, and are looking forward to future match-ups with rival Emmylou Who, another daughter of Ken Warkentin.
“I feel a little bit sorry that Ken Warkentin is going back to Sweden. I really like these Ken Warkentins. They all can trot,” said the veteran horseman. “Emmylou Who, she will be a great race mare also. I think they will go on with her too.”
Emmylou Who will defend her Gold Final title from Post 7 on Wednesday, while recent Breeders Crown contender Wilsonator gets Post 6. Last year’s division star Poof Shes Gone will be hoping to rekindle her sophomore campaign from Post 8 in the $130,000 contest.
Post time for Windsor Raceway’s Wednesday, Nov. 3 program is 7 p.m., and the spotlight will shine on the gifted three-year-old trotting fillies in Race 7.
To view Wednesday's entries, click here.
(OSS)