Ontario's top two-year-old pacers converged at Georgian Downs on Saturday night to compete in the elimination round for their final Gold Series event of the season with Randy Waples and a trio of David Menary trainees shining in the spotlight.
Windsong Jack dominated his five foes in the first $40,000 elimination for freshman pacing colts with a 1:53.3 open length victory in rein to five-time Saturday night winning driver Randy Waples. The time of the mile matched the two-year-old gelding track record.
Waples fired the overwhelming 1-9 favourite to the lead and the son of Santanna Blue Chip opened up daylight on the field as he marched past panels of :28, :56.2, and 1:24.1 en route to the career-best score. Longshot F Twenty Two (Scott Coulter) finished second off a pocket trip while Champagne Phil (Doug McNair) came on for third. Glammit (Mike Saftic) finished fourth and Just Henry (Paul MacKenzie) was fifth.
David Menary trains the second-ranked freshman in the OSS standings for Ontario owners Larry Menary of Cheltenham, Kenneth Ewen of Georgetown, Denis Breton of Welland and Burford's Geoffrey Lyons Mound. A $48,000 Canadian Yearling Sale purchase, Windsong Jack has won four of his nine seasonal starts, including the Sept. 15 Gold Final at Flamboro Downs, while banking nearly $200,000.
Windsong Jack paid $2.20 to win.
Grassroots Championship runner-up Duc Dorleans and driver Stephane Brosseau wore down the Gold divisional leader Mach Pride en route to winning the second colt elimination in 1:53.4 by half a length.
Mach Pride (Anthony MacDonald) established the early lead from post two with Duc Dorleans rolling up from the outside post in a field scratched down to five. Refusing to give way, Mach Pride pressed on through a :26.3 opening panel while Duc Dorleans settled into the pocket. The leader took a middle panel breather to the half in :56.3 and cruised to three-quarters in 1:24.3 before Duc Dorleans swept by in the stretch for the career-best victory. Ok Fantastic (Dan Clements) rallied wide from the back of the pack to place over Mach Pride while even-money favourite Tarpon Hanover (Randy Waples) and Windsong Joker (Doug McNair) finished fourth and fifth.
Duc Dorleans earned his seventh win in 10 starts while pushing his earnings to $93,850. The homebred Shanghai Phil gelding is trained by Jacques Dupont for Quebec owners Les Ecuries Dorleans Inc. of Repentigny and Gestion C. Levesque 2005 Inc. of Saint-Jean-Sur-Richelieu.
Duc Dorleans paid $11.70 to win at odds of 9-2.
Waples and Menary also teamed up to win the first filly elimination in front-stiding fashion with Macharoundtheclock in a new mark of 1:53.4.
Macharoundtheclock worked her way to the lead from post eight, clearing past the :27-second opening quarter mark. She carved out middle splits of :56.3 and 1:24.3 en route to the two and a half length victory while 6-5 favourite Kims Royal Day (Billy Davis Jr.) advanced first over to place. Lucien Bombardier Stakes champion Eloge (Simon Allard) finished third off a two-hole trip while My Sweet Mandy (Scott Coulter) and Maratoga (Chris Christoforou) earned the final paycheques in fourth and fifth.
The Mach Three filly, who was a $50,000 Forest City Sale purchase, is owned by the Menarys, Ewen, and Breton. The Battle Of The Belles champion earned her second victory in nine starts while pushing her bankroll to $147,627.
Sent postward at odds of 5-1, Macharoundtheclock paid $12.90 to win.
Adventurepan completed a Waples-Menary sweep of the filly eliminations as she held off her foes to equal her lifetime mark of 1:55.2.
Burlesque (Anthony MacDonald) established the early lead from post four with Raise Your Glass (Simon Allard) advancing into the two-hole during a :28-second opening quarter. Waples sent Adventurepan first up from fourth during the second the panel and she swept to command before the :56.3 halfway point. The leading duo cruised past three-quarters in 1:25.2 with the backfield angling wide and her closest rival Raise Your Glass slipping up the pylons. However, Adventurepan held on for the half-length victory with Raise Your Glass finishing second and Burlesque third. Keep The Dream (Scott Coulter) finished fourth and 1-2 favourite Right On Molly (Doug McNair) was fifth.
Owned and bred by Peter Pan Stables Inc. of Pepper Pike, Ohio, the Mach Three filly notched her second career win in seven starts while her earnings climbed to $81,200.
Adventurepan paid $8.50 to win as the 3-1 third choice.
Here is a look at the fields for next weekend's $130,000 finals in post position order:
Two-Year-Old Colt Pace
1. Ok Fantastic
2. Just Henry
3. Mach Pride
4. Duc Dorleans
5. Windsong Jack
6. Tarpon Hanover
7. F Twenty Two
8. Glammit
9. Champagne Phil
AE1. Windsong Joker
Two-Year-Old Filly Pace
1. Kims Royal Day
2. Eloge
3. Keep The Dream
4. Macharoundtheclock
5. Right On Molly
6. Adventurepan
7. Burlesque
8. My Sweet Mandy
9. Raise Your Glass
AE1. Maratoga
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Georgian Downs.