Making her first start for trainer Richard Moreau, five-year-old Stella Hall took a new mark in Georgian Downs’ $15,000 Fillies & Mares Preferred Trot during Saturday’s program
, which also featured the second leg of the Robert Simpson Claiming Series. With three wins in the Simpson Series and two more on the 11-race card, driver Mike Langdon earned five wins for the second night in a row.
Mz Friendly (Mike Langdon) was the one to track down in the featured Trot. The 10-1 shot led the way through stations of :28.1, :57.3 and 1:26.4. Nearing the third-quarter mark, Simon Allard angled Stella Hall out from third and the fan favourite sprinted home in :29.1 for the victory. The Angus Hall-Santacruz Hanover mare stopped the clock in 1:56.1.
Whatever Lolawants (Dan Clements) finished a length and a quarter behind in second while last week’s winner, Flora Dream (Scott Coulter), was third.
Stella Hall, who has won three of her last four starts, is owned by the Forest Ridge Stables of Ottawa, Ont. She has recorded four wins on the year in 16 outings and has banked over $40,000.
In other action, the Robert Simpson Claiming Series continued on Saturday with five more divisions worth $6,000 a piece.
Cameo Morley, the 7-2 third choice, kicked off the card with a wire-to-wire score in the first division for driver Dan Clements and trainer Bruce Goit. The five-year-old son of Arcane Hanover-Imaginary Lover, who was second in the first leg, overcame the outermost Post 7 to prevail in 1:56.3 by half a length over favourite Follow You Home (Tony Kerwood) and Donegal Bill (Otis Hall). The winner of five races in 34 starts this year is owned by One More Win Stables of Barrie, Ont.
With Mike Langdon in the driver’s seat, 3-2 favourite Allamerican Laser improved on his sixth place finish in the opening round of the series with a 1:56.2 victory tonight for trainer and owner Bonnie Goit. The five-year-old son of Artsplace-Lady Graceful advanced first-up from fourth and prevailed in a battle with eventual third place finisher Barbrasboy (Simon Allard). The pocket-sitter, Born For Winning (Scott Zeron), finished one length behind the winner. Allamerican Laser, who was claimed tonight by Isaac Waxman of Dundas, Ont., has won six of his 36 races in 2009.
Langdon returned to the winner’s circle after 2-1 second choice Armbro Brando front-stepped his way to a 1:56.1 score in the next split. The eight-year-old Island Fantasy-Cunning Bunny gelding, who was second in his first leg division, was a three-quarter length winner over Lifestream Mindale (Scott Coulter) and Dewys Place (Simon Allard) for new trainer Jay Polifroni and owner Tony Polifroni. It was his sixth win of the season in 32 starts.
Favourite Double D Jeffrey provided Langdon with his third win in the series and fifth on the card. The six-year-old son of Space Shuttle-Skippers Luck, who finished third last week, was a gate-to-wire winner in 1:56.4. Vals Fortune (Aaron Byron) was the runner-up finishing a half-length behind while the pocket-sitting Phelps (Dan Clements) rounded out the top three. Shawn Irwin trains and co-owns the winner of four races in 27 starts with Arthur Irvin of Alliston, Ont.
Summit Hanover was the only repeat winner in the fifth and final division of the night for Tony Kerwood and trainer Bill Robinson. The veteran son of Arturo-Soaring Graces, sent postward as the 3-1 third choice, survived a first over journey to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:56.1. Favourite Pinnacle Peak (Steve Byron) was second off a pocket trip with pacesetter and leg one winner That Place (Simon Allard) third. Summit Hanover won for the eighth time in 35 starts. He was claimed from Montreal’s Gerrie Tucker by the Rosene Racing Stable of Putnam, Ont.
Racing will resume on Tuesday, Dec. 22 and will be dark on Friday, Dec. 25 for Christmas. The $25,000 (added) final of the Robert Simpson Claiming Series will headline next Saturday’s Boxing Day program with post time set for 7:25 p.m.
To view Saturday's results, click here.