Truro Raceway launched the 2024 Atlantic Sires Stakes season during its Opening Day card on Sunday afternoon, May 19 with three-year-old pacing fillies Zendayas Firstlady and Fern Hill Indigo starring in their respective divisions.
Zendayas Firstlady, the 2023 Atlantic Breeders Crown filly champion, made her sophomore debut a winning one in the first of two $12,240 A divisions for trainer Stephen Quinn and owner John Quinn of Charlottetown, P.E.I.
Sent postward as the heavy 6-5 favourite in rein to Myles Heffernan, Zendayas Firstlady crossed to command leaving from the outside post into the first turn and led her four foes through fractions of :29, 1:01.4 and 1:30.3 before holding off a pair of late-closers at the end in 1:59.2. The pocket-popping Sensational Gal (Gilles Barrieau) missed by just a quarter of a length with Starship Beauty (David Dowling) rallying from third to make it a three-across finish.
The winning time was a new lifetime mark for the Arthur Blue Chip-Sunset City filly, who put together a rookie record reading 2-3-2 from 11 starts while earning just over $30,000.
Fern Hill Indigo was the fastest winner of the opening leg, taking her A division in a career-best 1:56.2 for trainer Tom Weatherbie and Next Generation Stable of Stratford, P.E.I.
With the inside post advantage, Timberlea Lady (Jaycob Sweet) established the early lead with the four other fillies lining up behind in program order through a :28 quarter. As they rounded the turn heading in front of grandstand, driver Brodie MacPhee sent 3-1 second choice Fern Hill Indigo first up from third with 1-4 favourite Goodmorning Nova (Corey MacPherson) following the cover past the :58 half-mile marker. Fern Hill Indigo went head-to-head with Timberlea Lady as they raced to three-quarters in 1:26.3, edging ahead into the final turn and eventually drawing clear, with Goodmorning Nova chasing one length behind in second. Lady Willa (Colin Sheppard) rounded out the top three finishing nearly four lengths behind.
The Malicious-Noble Ellen filly, who launched her five-race freshman campaign with an Atlantic Sires Stakes victory last July, is perfect in her first two sophomore starts. She knocked three seconds off her lifetime mark, taken in her spring qualifying return.
A pair of $6,000 B divisions went to a pair of first-time winners as trainer Garth Cole's homebred Nofool Tobago (Tobago Cays-Woodmere No Fool) romped to a 1:57 score with David Dowling in the bike and First Filly Chip (Arthur Blue Chip-Menagerie) shot up the passing to prevail in 1:57.4 in rein to Corey MacPherson for trainer Kuri White and owner East Coast Captains.
Atlantic Sires Stakes action resumes on June 16 at Inverness Raceway with the sophomore pacing fillies meeting again. Points earned in each A division and trot events go towards securing a coveted spot in the season-ending championships in October.
In Sunday's $2,500 Winners Over Handicap for the top Truro pacers, defending driving champion Paul Langille and his trainee Batterup Hanover stalked loosely in third behind two-time Truro Raceway Horse of the Year American Risk and 1-9 favourite Mappos Lion before making the winning move on the final turn.
American Risk (Todd Trites) fired to command at the start with Mappos Lion (Kenny MacDonald) leaving from the outside in his Truro return and taking a brief tuck near the :27.1 first quarter before working to the top. The bettors' choice hit the half in :55.2 and opened up three lengths on top to three-quarters in 1:25.1. However, 4-1 second choice Batterup Hanover started to reel him in rounding the final turn and drew alongside at the head of the stretch, fighting by down the lane to win in 1:54.3 by a quarter-length. American Risk finished four lengths behind in third.
Batterup Hanover's successful season debut marked his 20th career win. The six-year-old Betting Line-Beachbunny Hanover gelding, who won his final start last year at Truro to cap off a seven-for-19 campaign, is owned by Debbie Francis, Rosanne Langille, Douglas Lowthers and Chantel Langille.
Live harness racing continues at Truro Raceway next Sunday, May 26.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click the following link: Sunday Results - Truro Raceway.
(Standardbred Canada; Photo of Zendayas Firstlady winning at Truro Raceway)