Windcross broke her maiden in the first of two $40,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold eliminations for two-year-old filly trotters hosted by Western Fair Raceway on Saturday night while Random Destiny, already a Gold champion, captured the second elim
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Using the inside advantage, Windcross and driver Stephen Byron took command with Emmylou Who (Lyle MacArthur) pressing on the outside before settling for a pocket trip at the :30.1 quarter mark. The 2-1 second choice took a middle panel breather before 6-5 favourite Isthatallyagot (Anthony MacDonald) moved first-up from third at the 1:01.2 half. With Isthatallyagot moving up to her saddle pad, Windcross picked up the pace heading to the third station in 1:31 and charged home to win by a half-length in 2:01, holding off Emmylou Who, who went three-wide heading into the stretch to come on for second. Isthatallyagot rounded out the top three.
John Bax trains the homebred Striking Sahbra-Wescott miss, who won for the first time in nine starts. The lion’s share of the purse pushed Windcross’s bankroll to $56,500 for owner Wescott LLC of Neenah, Wisconsin.
In the next elim, Magic Treasure (Brad Forward), Rebelious Royalty (Anthony MacDonald) and Ruling Class (Stephen Byron) all fired off the gate and around the first turn before Magic Treasure broke stride leaving Rebelious Royalty to out-duel Ruling Class for the lead at the :29.1 first quarter mark. Heading to the half in 1:00.2, 2-1 second choice Random Destiny and driver Riina Rekila moved to the outside from third with 4-5 favourite Wilsonator (Doug Brown) following. Random Destiny matched strides with the leader at three-quarters in 1:30.4 and cleared the front heading for home. She trotted on to victory in 2:01.1 by three lengths. Wilsonator was the runner-up and Magic Treasure recovered from her early miscue to come on for third.
Rekila also trains the winning daughter of Ken Warkentin-Front Porch Swing for owner Esa Lahtinen of Campbellville, Ont. Random Destiny has won half of her 10 starts at two, including the October 6 OSS Gold final at Windsor Raceway. She has now banked $189,900.
Here is a look at the field for next Saturday’s $130,000 OSS Gold final in order of post position with drivers listed:
1. Daria Hall – Doug Brown
2. Random Destiny – Riina Rekila
3. Wilsonator - Doug Brown
4. Rebelious Royalty – Anthony MacDonald
5. Emmylou Who – Lyle MacArthur
6. Magic Treasure – Brad Forward
7. Windcross – Stephen Byron
8. Isthatallyagot – Anthony MacDonald
AE1. Ruling Class – Stephen Byron
AE2. Scottish Starlet – Stephen Davis
AE3. Warrawee Lassie – Ross Battin
More second leg action of the Middlesex County Series continued this weekend with three $9,000 pacing divisions for colts and geldings and three trotting divisions for fillies and mares.
Hrubys N Luck and driver Brad Forward, the 4-5 favourite in the first Middlesex County Pacing Series division for colts, swept three-wide in the backstretch from fifth and charged home for the one and a half length victory in 1:59.2 over Bounce Ahead (Joe O’Brien) and pacesetter Ificamecam (Anthony Haughan). David McGinnis owns and trains the two-year-old son of Sir Luck-Hrubys N Emeralds, a winner of five races in nine starts, who finished second in first round action.
In the second division, 5-1 third choice Questreos and Anthony Haughan survived a first-over journey to repeat in the series in 2:00.4 for owner and trainer Michael Kwietniowski. The Astreos-Camquest four-year-old has won three times in 10 starts during his debut season. Longshots Josedale Biscotti (Ross Battin) and Micrometerjack (Dave Wall) came in second and third.
Leg one winner and 1-9 favourite Larjon Barty and Trevor Henry made a quarter pole move from the pocket and remained unchallenged through the remaining splits en route to five and a half length victory in 2:00 flat. Longshot Celebration Path (Brad Forward) prevailed in the race for place over the pocket-sitter Machcetera (Ryan Holliday). Ron Kerr trains the winning two-year-old Tuxedo Charlie-Absolute Knockout gelding for owner/breeder Jonathan Lane of Kincardine, Ont. He has won two of his 10 starts this year.
Fresh off a win in the first leg of the Middlesex County Trotting Series for fillies and mares, Another Vixen returned to the London oval to capture the opening division in the second leg in front-stepping fashion. Trainer Shane Weber sent the three-year-old Kadabra-Armbro Vixen filly wire-to-wire to win in 2:04.1 by four and a quarter lengths – much like her performance one week ago. C H Meadow Gal (Nick Henry) and Beginish (Mike Whelan) followed the leader for second and third. The win was Another Vixen’s fourth in 12 lifetime starts for owners Thomas and Elizabeth Rankin of St. Catharines, Ont.
Oughta Be Adorable and trainer Ron Waples lead the field from start to finish, turning back challenger Warrawee Jet (John Muir) along the way for a 7-1 upset in the next split. The four-year-old Malabar Maple-Lukes Ronda mare, who finished fifth last week, won in 2:02.4 by three and a half lengths over Starbursthannah (Trevor Henry) and Warrawee Jet. Waples also shares ownership of the winner of three races in 17 life starts with Liz Waples and Matt Waples of Guelph and Nicole Schnurr of Carlisle, Ont.
Princess Leah and Nick Steward, the 3-1 second choice, went all the way to capture the final fillies and mares trotting division after most of the field jumped it off in the early going. The four-year-old daughter of Duke Of York-Jayport Leah, who finished third in her first leg division, took a new mark of 2:03. Favourite Just One Day (Ross Battin) finished over 10 lengths behind in second with Natural Grace (Dave Wall) third. The win was Princess Leah’s third in 10 starts this year for trainer, owner and breeder William Borth.
The Middlesex County Series is for Ontario-sired performers, four years of age and younger, who were non-winners of $10,000 in lifetime earnings as of September 15, 2009.
The $50,000 finals of the series will take place next Saturday, November 7 at Western Fair.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click here.