Fifteen fillies of the sophomore variety trucked to Woodbine Racetrack on Thursday to contest a pair of elims for this year’s Ontario Spring Filly Stakes
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Look Cheap was treated to a ground-saving trip in her $20,000 tilt, and when she was called on for sprinting speed in the stretch by driver Mark MacDonald she complied.
MacDonald tucked the 1-5 favourite into the three-hole while A And Gs Creek and Seascape Hanover battled to the quarter pole in :26.4. The latter cleared to the lead and proceeded to front the field to the mid-way point in :56 and then the three-quarter pole in 1:25.4. A And Gs Creek attacked the leader coming off the final turn, and MacDonald was hot on that foe’s heels with Look Cheap.
The fillies fanned out three wide for the stretch drive, with Look Cheap getting the upper hand in the final strides. She used a :27.4 final frame to win by three-quarters-of-a-length over Patsys Luck in 1:54.1. Rounding out the top five finishers were A And Gs Creek (3rd), Seascape Hanover (4th) and Machs Delicacy (5th).
Rod Boyd conditions the daughter of Geartogear-Chimi Hanover for Tom Hill of Lancashire, GB. After going winless in three starts as a rookie, the lightly-raced miss has put together a 2-1-0 record in three starts this season. She has banked $32,750 to date.
Lady Kelleigh Anne got roughed up early in the second elimination before working out a pocket trip behind the favourite and then rallying past that foe and fending off the backfield en route to a 1:55.2 score.
Keith Oliver had the homebred daughter of Royal Mattjesty-Fit For Britt sitting third on the outside as By Express and Keystone Wildwind went toe-to-toe past the quarter pole in :28.2 before the latter cleared to the lead. Lady Kelleigh Anne shot to the top as the field moved into the backstretch, but she was quickly overtaken by race favourite Smartygirl, who led the group to the mid-way point in :57.2.
Smartygirl accelerated away to a two-length lead at the three-quarter pole in 1:26.1, but Lady Kelleigh Anne was still lurking in the garden spot. Lady Kelleigh Anne angled to the outside in deep stretch and used a :28.4 closing panel to propel herself to the win by three-quarters-of-a-length over a hard-closing Shadys Art in 1:55.2. Worth Remembering, who was sent off at 121-1, rallied well to finish third. Smartygirl faded to finish fourth, with Blue Monster taking home fifth prize.
David O’Brien trains Lady Kelleigh Anne, who improved her 2011 record to 4-3-0 in nine starts, for owner/breeder Russ Doyle of London, ON. The six-time winner has stashed away more than $43,000 in her career.
The top five finishers from each of Thursday’s eliminations will return to Woodbine on Thursday, April 28 to contest the final. Elimination winners earned the privilege of picking their posts for the final. Here’s how they’ll line up behind the starting gate:
$60,000 Ontario Spring Filly Stakes
1. A And Gs Creek
2. Lady Kelleigh Anne
3. Look Cheap
4. Smartygirl
5. Shadys Art
6. Worth Remembering
7. Patsys Luck
8. Seascape Hanover
9. Blue Monster
10. Machs Delicacy
(WEG)
To view results for Thursday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Thursday Results – Woodbine Racetrack.