As the bettors' choice in the mile, Saulsbrook Olympia overcame more than just her four rivals to win the $11,600 Fillies and Mares Preferred Handicap at The Raceway at Western Fair District on Wednesday, May 22 as she won by a narrow margin despite broken equipment.
Major League N (Ed Hensley) designated herself as the pacesetter for the mile. As Major League N set the tempo with a :28 quarter and :58.3 half, Saulsbrook Olympia and Colin Kelly got away fourth. After the half-mile mark, Kelly pulled the Vernon Cochrane student to the outside on a first-over journey towards the top. She sat third on the outside at the three-quarters in 1:27.1 and into the final turn. Despite charting broken equipment, Saulsbrook Olympia won the stretch drive battle against Major League N by a half length in 1:56.1. Flip The Script (Brett MacDonald) completed the top three.
Saulsbrook Olympia (Big Jim-Racino Star) is a six-year-old mare owned by Edward Gorc. She won her third race in 13 starts this year and moved her career tally to 26-7-11 from 87 track appearances. In her career, the mare has banked $264,333. Heavily backed as the bettors' choice, she returned $2.60 to win.
Four City Of London Series divisions were contested on the Wednesday evening card with two for the pacing males and two for the pacing females as the second leg of the series. Each split carried an $8,000 purse.
La Sun Control ($2.40) and Colin Kelly took the first division for the males with a 4-1/2-length score in 1:54.1 over Jimmy Billie B (Borth) and Rustys Bett. Rick Edwards trains and co-owns the winning son of Control The Moment-Sunbather with Michael Tam as the four-year-old gelding recorded his fifth straight win in seven starts this year and his eighth career tally from 16 starts.
Gigitygigitygigity ($2.10) followed in the next division with a 3-3/4-length triumph in 1:56.1 over Vogue Blue Chip (Daryl Thiessen) and Farmers Beach (Borth). Brett MacDonald was in the bike of the sophomore Sportswriter-Ive Got Stamina gelding for trainer Rene Dion and owners R A W Equine Inc. and S&r Racing Stable Inc. The win was his fourth of the year and fourth career tally in 17 starts.
Rollthebet ($23) quite literally 'rolled the bet' for her backers with a return on an 11-1 upset in the first split for the ladies, a win in 1:56.1 by three-quarters of a length over the favoured Saulsbrook Diva (Kelly) and second-choice She Comes And Goes (Borth). Austin Sorrie and owner/trainer Rachel Andrew teamed up to second the All Bets Off-Honor Roll sophomore to her first career victory.
Sauble Lila ($2.50) completed the action in the card finale as she and Jason Ryan won their distaff division by 1-3/4 lengths in 1:56.3 for trainer Otis Hall. Owned by breeders Sauble Hill Farms and Nasussito Racing Inc., the sophomore daughter of State Treasurer and the Shadow Play mare Performing Art moved her career record to 7-2-0 in 11 starts.
The City Of London Series is for Ontario-sired horses four years old and younger that were non-winners of $10,000 lifetime as of midnight March 1, 2024. The series action will conclude next week as all divisions will meet to compete in their respective $20,000 (added) finals scheduled for Friday, May 31.
To view Wednesday's harness racing results, click the following link: Wednesday Results - The Raceway at Western Fair District.
(Standardbred Canada)