On the eve of the $557,000 Elegantimage Stakes for sophomore trotting fillies and the $387,000 Goodtimes Trot for colts and geldings at Mohawk Racetrack, a pair of $50,000 consolations were contested with both winners taking new lifetime marks
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The fillies were first and it was Fortunes Dream who captured the $50,000 Elegantimage Stakes consolation in a career-best 1:55.2.
Fortunes Dream, with driver Jody Jamieson, followed leader Tequila Slammer (Paul MacDonell) through early fractions of :28.2 and :58.3 before pulling the pocket. The 3-5 favourite went head-to-head with the pacesetter past the third station in 1:27.1 and around the final turn before she put away her rival in the stretch and kicked away by three lengths. Celebrity Spirit (Trevor Ritchie) and Oaklea Samantha (Luc Ouellette) finished second and third, respectively.
Anette Lorentzon trains the winner, who returned $3.30 to her backers. The daughter of Cantab Hall-Fortuna Dream made a couple of breaks in her Elegantimage elimination and finished back in seventh. She rebounded tonight for her third win in six starts this year to double her bankroll for owner Acl Stuteri Ab of Paris, Kentucky. Her fifth lifetime score pushes her total earnings over the $100,000 mark to $114,179.
Windsong Geant also lowered his mark to 1:55.2 with his winning effort in the $50,000 Goodtimes Trot consolation.
Driven by Steven Condren, Windsong Geant was first off the gate from Post 6 and put up a :27.3 first quarter before yielding to a parked out Sailaway Dream (Jody Jamieson), the 9-5 favourite, shortly after. Sailaway Dream raced to the half in :57.2 while Ive Got It All (Luc Ouellette) applied first over pressure, pushing ahead by three-quarters of a length.
Sailaway Dream fought back and hit three-quarters in 1:27.1, but the pocket-sitting Wingsong Geant slide up the rail to score in by a half a length over Grumpy Jake (Jack Moiseyev), who came flying home late on the outside forcing Sailaway Dream to settle for third.
Windsong Geant paid $12.20 to win as the 5-1 third choice. Shawn Robinson trains the gelded son of Kadabra-Early Secret, who finished fifth in his Goodtimes Trot elimination. The winner of three races in six outings this year also doubled his 2010 earnings for The Brabant Stable of London and Fred Brayford of Alliston, ON.
To view Friday's results, click here.