Modern Legend recovered from a minor miscue down the backstretch and drew away from the field for his eighth straight victory in the co-featured $100,000 Cam Fella Pacing Series final on Saturday night at Woodbine
Racetrack. The series is for four- and five-year-olds that are non-winners of $150,000 lifetime as of Dec. 31, 2011.
In the second stakes event on the card, Arsenal (Billy Davis Jr.) fired off the gate to establish the early lead ahead of Sonic Dancer (Jody Jamieson) and the Jack Moiseyev-driven Modern Legend during a :26.3 opening quarter with the parked out Audreys Dream (Scott Zeron) driving on.
Down the backstretch, Sonic Dancer made a costly break in stride and drifted into the safety lane while Modern Legend also put in a few steps before quickly resetting and going after the lead. Modern Legend's miscue set him back a few lengths, but he switched gears into attack mode and swept by the leader past the :55.1 half.
Meanwhile, Mach Wheel (Joe Hudon Jr.) was advancing on the outside and he began to lay on the pressure as they approached three-quarters in 1:23. However, Modern Legend gave him the cold shoulder and powered off down the stretch to win by more than five lengths in a career-best equalling time of 1:50.4. Leafs And Wings (Randy Waples) came on for second with Mach Wheel settling for third.
“I thought he was the best horse in the race so I wanted to drive him like he was the best,” said Moiseyev after the win. “When Jody’s horse made a break, he ran into me which caused my horse to break, but he quickly reset. At the top of the stretch, I didn’t think anyone was going to catch me. I didn’t really give him his head because he was pacing so strong. He is such a nice horse.”
Modern Legend paid $2.20 to win as the heavy 1-9 favourite. The four-year-old Modern Art-Rudy Cam gelding, who has swept the Autumn Stake, Snowshoe Series and now the Cam Fella Series as part of his win streak, is owned, bred and trained by Dave Drew (as Dave Drew Associates Inc.) of St. Catharines, Ont. Modern Legend, now six-for-six this year with $135,000 earned, boasts a lifetime record reading 11-2-0 in 15 starts and career earnings totalling $211,085.
Earlier on the card, Ole Miss overcame an outside post position and matched the Damsel Pacing Series record while holding off her stablemate Jamaica Hanover in the matching $100,000 final for mares.
Driver Billy Davis Jr. fired the David Menary-trained Ole Miss to command from Post 10 during a speedy :26-second opening quarter with one of her two stablemates in the race, Jolting Kate (Scott Zeron), in the pocket and the rest of the field trailing a couple lengths behind.
Down the backstretch, Jolting Kate brushed to command and hit the half in :54.1, followed by the three-quarters mark in 1:23. However, Ole Miss moved back out for more down the stretch and gained the upper hand once again with their other barn buddy, Jamaica Hanover (Rick Zeron), flying home from the backfield in a late attempt to steal the spotlight. Ole Miss managed to hang on for the 14-1 upset by half a length, hitting the wire in a stakes record-equalling time of 1:51.4. Favourite D Gs Tinkerbell (Luc Ouellette) finished third off a three-hole trip.
“She’s got terrific gate speed and from Post 10, I thought I had to use it tonight,” commented Davis Jr. after the victory. “I was very surprised that she went off at 14-1 because she can go with these horses and also won the Preferred at The Meadows against older horses.
"I was lucky enough to get covered up by Scott [Zeron] down the backside," explained Canada's leading reinsman. "Turning for home, I thought I could get by him and I also heard Luc [Ouellette] yelling at his horse and I had lots of horse left. I was pretty confident turning for home.”
Ole Miss, who hit the board in both preliminary legs of the series, paid $31.70 to win. The four-year-old Art Major-Biloxi mare has won half of her eight starts this year while banking $89,050 for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Frank Baldachino, and Lawrence Karr. Lifetime, she now boasts a record reading 10-10-9 in 42 starts and earnings totalling $172,704.
In regular racing action, Camaes Fellow earned the first win of his aged career in the $50,000 Open Pace and pushed his lifetime earnings over the half-million dollar mark in the process.
Last year's Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final champion, who has been knocking at the door earning top three finishes in the Willowdale and Aquarius Series finals and last week's Open Pace, pulled off the win Saturday for trainer Tony O'Sullivan and owner Frank Bellino.
Driven by Doug McNair, the four-year-old Mach Three-Camae gelding was three-wide in the early going as he vied for the top spot, eventually clearing before the first turn and hitting the first quarter in :26.2.
However, defending Open champion and fan favourite Bay Of Sharks (Paul MacDonell) pulled the pocket down the backstretch and brushed to command. He hit the half in :55.1 while Upfront Hoosierboy (Mario Baillargeon) began to roll from the back of the pack, flushing Kyle Major (Billy Davis Jr.) first up from fourth.
Bay Of Sharks reached the next marker in 1:23.3 and was still two lengths clear on top as he entered the stretch, but Camaes Fellow pulled the pocket and collared the leader at the wire for the 1:50.4 score by half a length. Upfront Hoosierboy closed well for third.
Camaes Fellow paid $7.30 to win as the 5-2 second choice.
Ottawa ship-in Chat Chat, driven by Jody Jamieson for trainer Gerard Demers, put her 12-race win streak on the line and was upended by 2-1 second choice Rose Run Limo and trainer-driver Rick Zeron in a $20,000 conditioning trot. The popular Chat Chat was on top for most of the mile, but gelding Rose Run Limo came on to win by two and a half lengths in 1:55.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Woodbine Racetrack.
(With quotes from WEG)