Sunday's card of harness racing at Flamboro Downs featured second leg action of the Ontario Sired Autumn Series for trotting fillies and mares.
Jessiejesorjessica delivered as the public choice in the first division. Driver Kelly Sheppard settled away in third, alllowing Lady Gabbie (Dagfin Henriksen) to carve out panels of :28.2, :58.4 and 1:29.4. Advancing first-over approaching the third station, Jessiejesorjessica patiently stalked the pacesetter before powered past in deep stretch for the three-quarter length decision in 2:01.4. Kashe (Wayne Henry) was third best, six-plus lengths in arrears.
A homebred owned by Sea Of Green Inc. of Dundas, Ont., Jessiejesorjessica boasts back-to-back Autumn Series wins for her only two lifetime tallies and remains unbeaten for trainer Sheppard.
The complexion of the second division changed off the hop as 1-9 choice Agent Thirteen made a break just before the start. At 70-1, LMC Hashtag (Robert Shepherd) tried to take advantage of that miscue by setting the tempo. After a :29.4 opener and 1:00.4 half, LMC Hashtag was swallowed up by 16-1 shot Luckyjohanna (Paul MacKenzie), who rushed from third down the backside to take over command through a 1:32 third station. Bob McClure asked 13-1 shot Erin Isle for another gear from fourth through that third quarter and advanced to engage the new leader turning for home. In the final strides, Erin Isle poked a head in front of Luckyjohanna to break her maiden with the mile timed in 2:03.4. LMC Hashtag was another nine lengths back in third.
Per Henriksen trains three-year-old Erin Isle (Johnny William - Right Back At You for owners Stig Westrum of Norwood, Ont. amd Adv Racing Stable LLC of Pawling, N.Y.
The $20,000 Autumn Series Final will be contested at Flamboro one week from tonight on October 14.
A pair of Preferred paces were contested on the Sunday card, with both victors employing on-the-engine tactics for victory.
Gritty veteran Boomboom Ballykeel was a wire-to-wire winner in 1:53.4 to take the $11,500 Preferred 2 Pace for driver Louis-Philippe Roy, trainer Richard Moreau and breeder-owner Ballykeel Racing of Tillsonburg, Ont. The win was the 35th of his career and pushed his lifetime earnings over the $900,000 plateau.
Team Hensley and Toot Toot N benefitted from similar tactics to take the $8,500 Preferred 3 Pace in 1:54.3. Driver-owner Ed Hensley engineered the winning trip for trainer-owner Ashleigh Hensley to give the seven-year-old import his ninth win of the season and 15th lifetime.
To view the charted lines from Sunday's card at Flamboro Downs, click the following link: Sunday Results - Flamboro Downs.