A total of 10 races were contested on Saturday evening at the Milton oval and six of them saw final times of sub-1:50, including a 1:48.3 Preferred Pace and the fastest mile ever paced by a filly in Ontario Sires Stakes history.
Boadicea led an evening of quick miles on Saturday, June 22 at Woodbine Mohawk Park with a 1:49 mile in a division of Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) Gold, smashing the previous mark by almost a second.
Starting from post six in the second $106,400 Gold Series division, driver Jonathan Drury opted to send Boadicea after the lead early and the filly reached the front just before the :26.3 opening quarter. From there Boadicea simply kept on rolling, pacing to a :54.2 half and 1:21.4 three-quarters before accelerating through the stretch to the 1:49 victory. Pocket-sitter Sunny Dee finished two-and-a-half lengths back in second, followed across the wire by Premier Cabernet.
“She is a wonderful filly. She’s just got better every start,” said trainer Bill Budd. “I figured she’d pace in 1:50 tonight, but 1:49 is even better.”
Boadicea’s 1:49 clocking took four-fifths of a second off the former OSS record of 1:49.4 set by Kendall Seelster in Gold Series action at the Campbellville oval last summer. With three more Gold Series events and the season-ending Super Final on the filly’s schedule, Budd said he would not be surprised if Boadicea goes even faster before her sophomore season comes to a close.
“She is a big filly and the farther they go, the better she is. That’s the way you want it,” Budd said. “[There’s] another gear there still. I think so.”
Budd trains the daughter of Big Jim and Rose Seelster for owner-breeders Charles and Gordon Lawrence of Blenheim, ON, who were on hand to see the filly record her second Gold Series and fourth-straight victory.
With the next event slated for July 27 at Woodbine Mohawk Park, Budd said Boadicea will enjoy a week off before getting ready for a prep race one week prior to the Gold event, the same schedule that she followed after her June 1 Gold win.
“We just gave her a week off; I’ll give her another one now. She really likes that. Keep her fresh,” said Budd. “I’ll give her 10 days or a week off; long summer.”
Also heading for a well-deserved break is Powerful Chris, who cruised to a three length victory in the first $107,200 Gold division. The favourite took control just past the :54.3 half and romped home to a 1:50.2 score over Lovely Donna and Ideation Hanover.
Bob McClure crafted the victory for trainer John Pentland of Dorchester and his co-owners Jack Darling Stables Ltd. of Cambridge and Syllabus Stable of Georgetown, ON, and the Elora resident said the Betterthancheddar daughter was on cruise control.
“She was very good. She’s come back a very nice filly,” McClure said. “She can leave, she’ll sit, she’s two fingers to drive, I couldn’t be happier with her.”
The win was the first of the season for Powerful Chris, who finished third by a neck in the $454,000 Fan Hanover final at Woodbine Mohawk Park last Saturday. That effort, and her fifth-place result in the June 8 Fan Hanover elimination, seem to have boosted the filly’s confidence in the speed and ability that earned her three Ontario Sires Stakes wins as a two-year-old.
“I think that [Fan Hanover] and the elim—in the elim her last quarter was big (:25.2)—I think she’s finding another gear and learning to carry it,” McClure said.
Powerful Chris finished second to Boadicea in the June 1 Gold Series season opener, and currently shares second spot in the point standings with Sunny Dee.
While the fillies enjoy their break, the three-year-old trotting colts will arrive at Woodbine Mohawk Park for their second Gold Series event on Monday, June 24. The evening’s first race goes in behind the gate at 7:10 pm and the trotting colts will square off in Races 3 and 6.
Ben Wallace-trainee Easy Lover Hanover rallied from sixth and last to win the $34,000 feature in a season’s best 1:48.3. Doug McNair steered the six-year-old gelding to his second win in five starts this season and 36th overall.
Nirvana Seelster posted a :25.4 opener before being confronted by Physicallyinclined, who led by the half in :53.1 and three-quarters in 1:21.1. Easy Lover Hanover was sixth and just over seven-lengths from the lead swinging for home.
‘Easy Lover’ paced a :26 final-quarter to power by rivals for the 1:48.3 score. Nirvana Seelster finished second, beat a length. American Hustle was third, while Go West Go Fast was fourth. Physicallyinclined was fifth.
Owned by Brad Grant, Easy Lover Hanover has banked $50,800 this season to bring his career earnings to $851,249. He paid $13.60 to win.
A total of 10 races were contested on Saturday evening at the Milton oval and six of them saw final times of sub-1:50.
The full list of sub-1:50 miles can be found below:
Race 1: Heza Thrill N ($23.40) – Bob McClure/Dean Nixon – 1:49.1
Race 2: Easy Lover Hanover ($13.60) – Doug McNair/Ben Wallace – 1:48.3
Race 4: Always A Hotshot ($24.50) – Jonathan Drury/Carmen Auciello – 1:49.3
Race 7: Fancourt ($14.90) – James MacDonald/Nick Gallucci – 1:49.1
Race 8: Boadicea ($3.20) – Jonathan Drury/Bill Budd – 1:49
Race 10: Pedro Hanover ($9.30) - Louis-Philippe Roy/Corey Giles - 1:49.4
The Standardbred Jackpot Hi-5, held in the last race every race night, was hit. The single-winning ticket was purchased by a Manitoba HPI customer. The customer wagered a $0.20 base bet (7-8,10/7-8,10/7-8,10/1-6,9/1-6,9) for a total $50.40 for a payout of $151,601.31.
(with files from the Ontario Sires Stakes & Woodbine Mohawk Park)
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.