Uxbridge, Ont. conditioner Jeffrey Brooks and owner/breeder Prince Lee Acres will be busy this weekend at Woodbine Racetrack. The pair will send out a trio of starters in the last two stakes engagements of the year.
P L Firstlady will contest the first round of the Niagara Series on Friday and P L Fighter and P L Faststrike will contest the opening leg of the Valedictory Series on Saturday.
P L Fighter caught his trainer and the betting public off guard when he crossed the wire first in the $60,000 Autumn Stakes final this past Saturday at the Toronto oval at odds of 16-1.
“Oh, yes, I was certainly surprised by that victory, as I’m sure everyone else was,” Brooks said. “I wasn’t surprised by his late kick because I always knew he had that, but him defeating Autumn Gottem caught me off guard. I didn’t think we could beat that horse.”
The sophomore son of Jeremes Jet was 10 and a half lengths back of the tempo-setter at the three-quarters pole before firing up a sizzling :26.3 final quarter to pick off the post-time favourite, Autumn Gottem, in the final strides to win in 1:52.
The pair will be reunited once again in the $20,000 first leg of the Valedictory.
“He’s the type of horse that the race has to set up for him,” Brooks said of P L Fighter. “He doesn’t enjoy being on the front or first-over, but if he can get covered up with a good trip, he’s got that late kick that he really benefits from.”
P L Fighter has had a successful campaign this season, unraced as a rookie, the gelding has amassed a 4-4-2 record from 23 starts with $77,000 in earnings.
“He got off on the right foot with two straight wins of his career,” said Brooks. “But, then he’d get sick on us from time to time. He was picked to win the Ontario Graduate final at Georgian a few starts ago, but we couldn’t race him because of that. I guess this past Saturday made up for that.”
Brooks admits that his pupil has a certain presence about him.
“He’s a cocky horse,” Brooks laughed. “When he won the other night, he knew he did something special or something right. He had the look. He’s such a good-feeling horse, which is a good thing. He’s not really big, but he doesn’t know that.”
P L Fighter, who will start from Post 3 for driver Chris Christoforou, will kick off the Saturday program in the first race, which will get underway at 7:30 p.m.
In the second division, Christoforou will also steer Post 1 starter P L Faststrike for Brooks and Prince Lee Acres.
The sophomore pacing colts and geldings will line up as follows:
Race 1
1. Eight Ten Eom
2. JJ Shark
3. P L Fighter
4. Doowraw Omelet
5. Curious Phoenix
6. Autumn Gottem
7. BJs Guy
Race 10
1. P L Faststrike
2. Instant Thrill
3. Boxcar
4. Scuttle
5. Er Room
6. Donau
7. First Art Down
Before P L Fighter and P L Faststrike can contest their dashes, stablemate P L Firstlady will try to take all the spoils in Friday’s $20,000 first leg of the Niagara Series.
The three-year-old daughter of Mach Three is fresh off a victory at Georgian Downs and will begin from Post 6 for Christoforou.
“She’s becoming a nice filly,” Brooks said. “Much like ‘Fighter,’ she has a tendency to get sick. After her last start, she was sick after the race. I guess there was a bug going through my barn.”
The bay lass has banked $19,675 this season from 12 starts, including four victories.
“She’s got talent, but also has some soundness issues,” said her conditioner. “She’s a good-size filly and continues to progress in the right direction.”
The sophomore pacing fillies will line up as follows:
Race 3
1. R U For Me
2. Makes Her Mark
3. Caviart Mandy
4. Masked Lover
5. Oceanview Bindi
6. P L Firstlady
7. Amazing Step
Race 8
1. Trama Unit
2. Natural Instinct
3. The Speed Of Music
4. Apach Of Luck
5. Izzy
6. Greystone Ladylike
7. Aubsession
The second $30,000 leg of the Valedictory and Niagara will head to post on Monday, December 17, with both $60,000 finals slated for Woodbine Racetrack's Boxing Day card (Wednesday, December 26), which will have a special 1:00 p.m. first-race post time.
To view the entries for the Friday and Saturday cards of live racing at Woodbine Racetrack, please click the corresponding links which appear below.
(WEG)