Nineteen sophomores butted heads at Woodbine Racetrack on Friday evening as the Rexdale, Ontario oval played host to the opening leg of the Youthful Pacing Series, which featured a pair of $25,000 divisions
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Trainer Bob McIntosh teamed up with WEG's dash-leading driver in 2009, Randy Waples, to take the opening split with Its A Good Thing. The heavily-favoured homebred used front-end tactics to post the 1:53.3 victory for the partnership of the Robert McIntosh Stables Inc., Mike Kohler and Dwight Stacey.
Waples tucked his charge into the pocket spot behind St Lads Supersonic (Jody Jamieson), who sped the field to the quarter pole in :27.2. Its A Good Thing, who was sent off as the 4-5 favourite in the nine-horse affair, popped off the pylons on the way to the backstretch and cleared to the lead without much of a tussle.
Its A Good Thing went unchallenged through middle fractions of :56.3 and 1:25.4 before being asked for a :27.4 final frame to seal the deal in 1:53.3. Runner-up St Lads Supersonic, who enjoyed the garden trip most of the mile, finished 1-1/2 lengths behind the winner. It was another length back to Palace Cowboy (Paul MacDonell), who rounded out the top three.
The Western Maverick colt has assembled a 6-1-1 record in his first eight starts of the season. The victory boosted his lifetime bankroll to $58,614.
In the second division, Allamerican Motive stepped to a career-best clocking of 1:52.1 for the duo of driver Sylvain Filion and trainer Jerry Sims, who co-owns the youngster with Dr. Paul Gatfield of London, Ont.
The son of Four Starzzz Shark was parked to the quarter pole in :27 seconds by Whatuwantbabyigot (Luc Ouellette), who eventually released that one to the lead. It was a short-lived lead for Allamerican Motive, however, as Dervish Hanover (Jamieson) exploded out of the three-hole and swept to the front as soon as the field straightened into the backstretch.
Dervish Hanover served up middle fractions of :54.4 and 1:24 with Allamerican Motive right on his back, and they renewed their rivalry at the head of the lane. Filion pulled the pocket with Allamerican Motive, who used a :27.4 closing quarter to post the one-length decision over Dervish Hanover in 1:52.1. Whatuwantbabyigot finished third.
Sent off at odds of 5-1, Allamerican Motive won for the second time this week [he posted a 1:53.2 victory in a conditioned event at Woodbine on Monday, March 23]. In nine lifetime starts he has managed to put together a 3-1-2 record and a bankroll which now stands at $46,368.
The second leg of the Youthful Pacing Series is scheduled for next Friday evening at Woodbine Racetrack, with the $57,000 (est.) final set for Friday, April 10.
In Open action, Michelles Power survived a first-over journey to prevail over her six rivals in the $44,000 Fillies & Mares Pace.
While race favourite Four Starzz Meliss (Rick Zeron) took command of the field from the far outside, Michelles Power and Jamieson sat in fourth through panels of :26.1 and :55.1. From there, Michelles Power brushed up and battled for the lead past three-quarters in 1:23.3. The 2-1 second choice charged on down the lane to score in a season’s best 1:51.2.
To Helen Back (Mike Saftic) made a late rush to finish a close second in her 2009 debut while Four Starzz Meliss held on for third.
Michelles Power, who has yet to finish off the board in nine starts this year, scored her third win bringing her seasonal bankroll to $78,164 for owner and breeder Jeffrey Snyder of New York, New York. The five-year-old Camluck mare, who has earned over $1.2 million in her career, is conditioned by Tony O’Sullivan.
To view Friday’s results, click here.
(With files from WEG)