Eliminations for the City Of London Series – three for the girls and three for the boys – were contested Tuesday at The Raceway at The Western Fair District, and it turned out to be a pretty good day for the favourites.
Zip Car was a front-stepping winner in her $7,000 elimination at odds of 4-1 for driver Brad Forward. The three-year-old daughter of Royal Mattjesty-Winbak Celebration halted the teletimer in 1:56.3. She defeated Island View by three-quarters of a length, with Sophie Blue a bang-up third.
Trainer Heather Toll co-owns the pacing lass, who celebrated her first lifetime win, with Mark Beaven of Dungannon, ON. The lion’s share of the purse bumped her lifetime earnings to $9,920.
St Lads Pixie clicked as the even-money favourite in the next elimination for the tandem of driver Trevor Henry and owner/trainer Alan Fair. The three-year-old daughter of Stonebridge Regal-Broadway Hackett parlayed a two-hole trip into a 1:59.2 victory by a quarter of a length over Ketchkaps Runnin C. Third prize went to the pacesetting Marshell My Gal.
After going winless in eight starts as a rookie, the filly has followed up with a 2-for-8 record this year. She five dollars shy of having $10,000 in career earnings.
The final elimination for the fillies and mares went to Royal Engagement, who made a bold, three-wide move late in the contest en route to nabbing a one-length triumph in 1:57.4 for driver Brad Forward. The 4-5 favourite defeated Jess Released, with Cajon Brooke a distant third.
Bob McIntosh trains and his Robert McIntosh Stables Inc of Windsor, ON owns the homebred daughter of Stonebridge Regal-Eve Of The Ball. The winning effort in what was her 2013 debut improves her overall record to 2-1-0 from six trips to the track. The filly has stashed away in excess of $10,000 to date.
Cobys Rocket was a wire-to-wire winner in the first elimination for the colts and geldings. He sliced out fractions of :27.2, :58.1 and 1:27 for driver Trevor Henry before using a :30-second closing panel to win by a half-length margin over even-money favourite One Warrawee. Junior Pride was third.
Andrew McCabe trains the three-year-old son of Jeremes Jet-Armbro Blue for Jonathan Binks of St. Thomas and Glenview Livestock Ltd of Guelph-Eramosa, ON. It was a maiden-breaking decision for the career winner of $12,009.
Ja El Pocketrocket survived a first-over journey in his assignment en route to posting a 1:55.3 score for the tandem of driver Scott Coulter and trainer Barry Treen. Sent off as the 2-5 favourite, the colt used a :29-second final quarter to win by 2-1/4 lengths over L A Camcharger, with J F Cookin taking home the show dough.
Len Gamble of Etobicoke, ON owns the three-time winner who now boasts career earnings of $12,400.
Big Bad George nabbed his first lifetime win thanks to a come-from-behind score in the final elimination for the duo of Trevor Henry and trainer Andrew McCabe. The gelding fired home in :29.3 to win by a one-length margin over DBs Rosco in 1:56.3. Lex Lugar finished third.
Sent off at odds of 4-1, the three-year-old son of Badlands Hanover-Gee Im Lucky pushed his lifetime earnings to $5,020 for Glenview Livestock Ltd of Guelph-Eramosa and Leonard Christopher of Acton, ON.
The rich finals will be contested on May, 31 in London as part of Molson Pace Night. The colts and geldings will square off for $41,400 in their final, while the fillies and mares will battle for a purse of $40,200.
To view results for Tuesday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Tuesday Results – The Raceway at The Western Fair District.