Third Time's The Charm In Molson Pace For Foiled Again

After failing to haul home Molson Pace hardware in his first two appearances in Western Fair Raceway’s marquee event, Foiled Again called on all of his class to win the 2011 edition on Friday evening

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With Yannick Gingras between the wheels of the racebike, the seven-year-old son of Dragon Again-In A Safe Place worked his way into the two-hole while Legal Litigator motored to the lead and supplied the field with early fractions of :27.2 and :55.4. Shortly past the mid-way point, Gingras called on Foiled Again to go into attack mode, and the gelding got into a gear in a hurry. He looked Legal Litigator in the eye and worked his way by shortly past the three-quarter pole, which flashed up in 1:23.1.

Foiled Again sprinted away by three lengths at the head of the lane and then used a :28.2 final frame to maintain that lead to the finish. Art Professor made a three-wide move around the final turn and came on to finish second behind the 1:51.3 winner, with Atochia, Foiled Again’s stablemate, grabbed third prize.

“I had the best horse and the last thing I wanted was to be locked in,” said Gingras in explaining why he pulled his horse when he did. “He loves being first up, I was actually planning on sitting outside of the other horse as long as I could but I went around him pretty easy. I didn’t have to chase my horse to do it, he did it on his own. I would have been fine sitting there until the top of the stretch.

“He won at the Meadowlands a couple of weeks ago in the Graduate final so I don’t want to hear that (that the horse is a half-mile specialist)," Gingras added. "He’s definitely great on a half. I thought he was the horse to beat coming in tonight. They (the Burke stable) did a great job. Last week he wasn’t quite as good as he was tonight. Atochia was very good last week. They did some work on (Foiled Again) this week and they have a way of getting him sharp at the right time. The whole crew does a good job and they had him ready tonight."

The 1:51.3 clocking matched the track record for older pacing geldings. The original record was established by Won The West in his Molson Pace elimination in 2010.

Ron Burke trains Foiled Again for Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC of Pennsylvania along with the JJK Stables LLC of Florida. Foiled Again’s record for 2011 improved to 7-2-1 in 10 starts with the victory, and the lion’s share of the $300,000 purse lifted the 51-time winner’s overall bankroll to $2,488,969.

It was a stakes and series-filled undercard on Friday at Western Fair Raceway, and Trot Insider has compiled the following recaps of what transpired:

$130,000 OSS Gold Series Final Three-Year-Old Pacing Fillies

After winning her OSS Gold Series elimination one week ago in front-stepping fashion in 1:55.4, Village Janus returned to Western Fair Raceway and rallied past race favourite Monkey On My Wheel in the final strides en route to a 1:55 score in the rich final. Village Janus sprinted to the early lead before being pulled on and pocketed by Monkey On My Wheel and driver Rick Zeron. Monkey On My Wheel dictated the pace through fractions of :27.4, :57 and 1:26.1, but she couldn’t fend off Village Janus when she ripped out of the pocket for driver Yannick Gingras. A :28.2 closing panel earned Village Janus the win by three-quarters of a length over Monkey On My Wheel. Look Cheap, who made a break going to the three-quarter pole, recovered and grabbed the show dough.

Trainer Rod Therres, who co-owns the daughter of Modern Art-Village Jest with Larry Schmidt of Abbotsford, British Columbia, watched his prized pupil improve to 3-for-3 this season while lifting her lifetime earnings to $221,200 with the victory.

$130,000 OSS Gold Series Final Three-Year-Old Trotting Fillies

Less than twenty-four hours removed from being involved in a horrific accident at Mohawk Racetrack, Jody Jamieson found his way to victory lane with Lukes Sophie in a time of 1:57.4. The daughter of Here Comes Herbie-Lady Prospect settled into the three hole while L A Freeway led them past the quarter pole in :28.1. Lukes Sophie came first-over and prompted L A Freeway through middle panels of :58.2 and 1:27.3 before Lukes Sophie used a :30-second closing panel to win by a pair of lengths over Peach Martini. Oh Sweet Baby came on late to finish third.

Sent off as the 1-2 favourite, Lukes Sophie is now a perfect 3-for-3 to start her sophomore season for trainer Carl Jamieson who co-owns the talented trotting lass with Tom Kyron of Toronto, Ontario. The $65,000 payday lifted her overall cash stash to $123,802.

$56,200 City Of London Pacing Series – Fillies & Mares

Patsys Luck needed some luck to win her assignment for driver Mike Saftic, who overcame interference shortly past the mid-way point to win with the three-year-old daughter of Camluck-Patsys Art in an impressive clocking of 1:56.1. Cameron Lucky led through fractions of :27.1 and :57 before the complexion of the race changed. Just Artful, who was pressing the pace from first over, made a break and scattered a number of trailing horses including Patsys Luck. Cameron Lucky had four lengths on the field as she zipped past the three-quarter pole in 1:25.3, but Patsys Luck was on the move and reeling her in. A :29.1 final quarter was more than enough for Patsys Luck to haul down and then pace away from Cameron Lucky by 2-1/4 lengths. Playboy Mansion finished third.

Natalie Pentland of Dorchester and Synerco Ventures Inc of Toronto, ON share ownership on the lightly-raced youngster, who went unraced as a rookie but has put together a 3-1-2 record in seven starts this season. She upped her lifetime earnings to $58,100 with the victory.

$60,600 City Of London Pacing Series – Colts & Geldings

Classic Call was treated to a two-hole trip by driver Stuart Sowerby, and the three-year-old son of Your Nemesis-Lucky Call didn’t let it go to waste. The gelding tracked race favourite Bazilla through fractions of :27.2, :57.2 and 1:26.4 before going on the offensive coming off the final turn. Both pacers went into sprint mode at that point, and Classic Call’s :29.1 rally proved to be the best as he won by a head over Bazilla in 1:56.1. Tim The Man overcame early interference to finish third.

Bred, owned and trained by Stephen Gillard of Tavistock, ON, Classic Call improved his 2011 to 2-2-0 in four starts after going 0-for-3 in his freshman season. The winning payday bumped his bank account to $44,680.

$55,800 City Of London Trotting Series – Colts & Geldings

Winford Hanover used off-the-pace tactics to capture the win as a 6-1 outsider for trainer Mike Keeling. Scott Coulter got away fourth with the three-year-old son of Striking Sahbra-Windswept Image while Full Force front-stepped through early fractions of :29.4 and :59.3. Coulter briefly caught cover behind Vesa T, but that one eventually cleared and led the group to the three-quarter pole in 1:29.1. Winford Hanover dug in and only needed a :31.2 final frame to win by 1-1/4 lengths over Tymal Tonka in 2:00.4. Vesa T faded late and finished third.

Paula and Jean Wellwood of Cambridge, ON share ownership on the colt, who is now a three-time winner in five starts this season. The lion’s share of the purse boosted his lifetime earnings to $47,955.

$55,800 City Of London Trotting Series – Fillies & Mares

Althea M and driver Yannick Gingras parked past the quarter pole in :29.4 before touching down on the lead, but once they got there it was game over for everyone else. The three-year-old daughter of Ken Warkentin-Rebeccas Message supplied the field with middle panels of 1:00.3 and 1:30.4 before finishing off the competition with a :30.2 final frame. She held on to win by three-quarters of a length over stablemate Miu Miu Bi in 2:01.1. To Dream Again was third.

Per Henriksen trains the youngster for Steve Organ of Aurora and the Asa Farm of Norwood, Ontario. The filly improved her 2011 record to 2-2-2 in six starts this season while pushing her lifetime earnings to $52,110.

$25,000 Invitation Trot

Mystical Ryan went coast-to-coast for the Baillargeon brothers – trainer Ben and driver Mario – in a time of 1:58. The nine-year-old son of Striking Sahbra-Eclectia said “catch me if you can” to seven foes through splits of :28.2, :58.4 and 1:28 before rolling home in a :30-second clip to seal the deal by 1-3/4 lengths over Lexis Noah. Indiana Hall rounded out the top three.

C Tremblay Holding Inc of Brossard, QC and Ben Baillargeon of Rockwood, ON share ownership on the 36-time winner who now boasts a bankroll that stands at $623,672.

$25,000 Invitation Pace

Shadywood Baron swept to a stunning victory, and he did so as the longest shot on the board for the tandem of driver Alfie Carroll and trainer Jim Ellis. Sent off at odds of 47-1, the eight-year-old son of Rambaran-Taylor Kate got away sixth and sat there for most of the mile before Carroll rolled out wide on the way to the three-quarter pole. Blissfull Breeze was sent through taxing panels of :27.1, :55.3 and 1:23.4, but his wheels began to wobble around the final turn. Shadywood Baron only needed a :30.2 final quarter to get up for the head decision over Upfront Hoosierboy in a time of 1:54.4. Four Starz Trace completed the Triactor ticket.

Bred and owned by Betty Ellis of Essex, ON, Shadywood Baron improved his 2011 record to 5-1-2 from 14 starts with the winning effort. The 27-time winner boasts a bankroll that now sits at $291,772.

$15,000 Preferred Trot

Just One Day marched to the front and didn’t look back for the father/son duo of trainer Dave Holliday and driver Ryan Holliday. The five-year-old daughter of Earl-Just One Night led through intervals of :28.4, :59.3 and 1:29.1 before jetting away to a 3-1/2 length tally over Dashing Earl in 1:58.4. Weskey tagged along to finish third.

It was the sixth win of the season and the 18th lifetime victory for the career winner of $127,762, who is owned by Graham Jackson of Listowel, Ontario.

$12,500 Fillies & Mares Preferred Pace

Exquisite Alberta earned a new lifetime mark of 1:54.2 thanks to her two-length triumph for driver Yannick Gingras. The seven-year-old Albert Albert-Exquisite Killean miss was on top through fractions of :27.2, :57.1 and 1:25.1 en route to the dominant score over Miss Maverick and race favourite Racy Gal Hanover.

Wayne Preszcator trains the 18-time winner for owner Shawn Dixon of London, Ontario. She now owns a 3-2-2 record from 18 starts this season, and he share of the purse boosted her earnings just over $155,000.

Impressive Numbers At The Windows

A total of $484,000 was bet on the card, up significantly from last year. Of that total, $125,000 was bet live at the track, $118,000 was bet in a separate pool at the Meadowlands and the remainder was bet at various Western Fair off track locations.

To view results for Friday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Friday Results – Western Fair Raceway.