Wins have been tough to come by for OK Feisty throughout the 2012 season, but on Monday evening she captured the $50,000 Autumn Stakes final at Woodbine Racetrack with the greatest of ease.
With Scott Zeron at the controls, OK Feisty was sixth and parked in the early going while Prettyndangerous had the field lined up behind her at the quarter pole in a :27-second clip. There was lots of action in the backstretch as Marlee B shot the top briefly before being overtaken shortly past the :56-second half-mile marker by OK Feisty.
The Dave Menary-trained OK Feisty marched the field to the three-quarter station in 1:25 and then used a :29-second closing quarter to seal the deal. The daughter of Modern Art-Camaronni N Cheese drew clear to win by 3-1/2 lengths in 1:54. Marlee B was next best, with third prize going to Machnbyrd Princess.
“I almost got locked in the first turn and had to squeak out of there then I decided instead of sitting out parked the whole mile with one of the horses that I thought was the best, I would take a chance and press to the front,” said driver Scott Zeron. “That worked out great. I was able to have the horse that was parked on the outside of me be the first-up horse. I was able to use him as some cover and when I pulled away down the stretch my filly was all there.”
Kenneth Ewen, Denis Breton, Dave Menary and Oak Knoll Stables share ownership on the homebred who improved her record to 2-1-5 from 14 starts. She more than doubled her earnings with the win. The lion’s share of the purse lifted her cash stash to $49,320.
Monday’s card also featured a set of Autumn Stakes eliminations for three-year-old trotting fillies, with Noble Lover and Wark Woman prevailing in their respective $25,000 assignments.
Noble Lover pulled off a 10-1 upset in the opening elimination for Team Christoforou, and by doing so she punched her ticket to next week’s final and earned her connections the privilege of picking a post for that event.
Chris Christoforou was in no hurry with the homebred daughter of Kadabra-Lovin It, who got away fourth while Kalectra marched to the lead and threw down panels of :29.2, 1:00.1 and 1:29.2. Noble Lover latched onto cover around the final turn and then used a :30.2 closing quarter to win by a half-length margin over Kalectra and Sturdy As A Hall in 2:00.2.
“She raced real well tonight,” said driver Chris Christoforou. “It was an improved performance off her last start. Hopefully she can improve again a little bit before next week and she should be okay. She is a nice filly. She is good gaited and she tries every week. She has a few minor issues, but if we stay on top of her, she should be alright.”
Trainer Charalambos Christoforou of Campbellville bred and co-owns the trotting lass with Banjo Farms of Toronto, ON, and together they’ve watched the filly assemble a 2-3-2 record from 18 starts this season after going unraced as a freshman. The youngster has banked $43,390 to date.
Wark Woman was given ultimate respect from the betting public, and she was given just as much respect from the other reinsmen in the race. Randy Waples hustled the 4-5 choice to the top and she was unchallenged on the lead through fractions of :27.2, :57.2 and 1:26.4 en route to the 1:57.1 triumph. Runner-up Real Housewife was 1-3/4 lengths in arrears, with Magic Lindy rounding out the top three in the eight-filly affair.
“Rob (trainer Fellows) liked her right away,” said Pat Hunt, who owns a piece of the bay with breeder Glengate Farms. “I think we all like her. She trained down this year like she was going to be a real good filly then she ran into some problems. We sort of got her straightened around. She has been getting good.”
Rob Fellows trains the homebred daughter of Ken Warkentin-Womanlee for Glengate Farms of Campbellville and Pat Hunt of Cambridge, ON. The victory improved the filly’s seasonal record to 4-2-0 in 14 starts. The lion’s share of the purse boosted her overall bankroll to $84,330.
The final of the Autumn Stakes for the three-year-old trotting fillies is slated for Thursday, December 6. Here’s how they’ll line up behind the starting gate:
$60,000 Autumn Stakes Final – 3FT
1. Kalectra
2. Sturdy As A Hall
3. Noble Lover
4. Wark Woman
5. Kendra Hanover
6. Betty Oop
7. Ivana Hanover
8. Real Housewife
9. Magic Lindy
10. Out Of The Hat
(With quotes from WEG)
To view results for Thursday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Thursday Results – Woodbine Racetrack.