Driver Sylvain Filion captured two of the three $70,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Series events for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings featured on Saturday night's card at Mohawk Racetrack while Preferred pacer State Treasurer equalled the fastest mile on Canadian soil so far this year.
Boomboom Ballykeel, who won the 2013 Metro Pace at Mohawk, zoomed to a 1:50.3 effort in the first division, giving him his second OSS Gold victory of the season. With driver Sylvain Filion at the lines, Boomboom Ballykeel followed from the pocket while Three Of Clubs (Doug McNair) chopped out fractions of :26.3, :55.1, and 1:23.3. Filion sent his charge on the attack in the stretch and he collared the pacesetter before pulling clear to win by a length. Three Of Clubs held second and Hunch Man (Mike Saftic) came home in third.
Richard Moreau trains Boomboom Ballykeel, a Mach Three-Teig N Riley (Presidential Ball) colt for owner/breeder Ballykeel Racing Inc. of Tillsonburg, Ont. Boomboom Ballykeel has a pair of wins from four starts this year and he has five career victories. He has earned $76,000 in 2014 and $465,702 lifetime. Boomboom Ballykeel is a full brother to Mach Of Ballykeel ($369,770), a former Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Series winner as well.
The win was one of three on the card that Filion and Moreau teamed up for.
Bugger Bruiser (Anthony MacDonald), the Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final winner for this group last year, clicked off a :27.4 opening quarter, a :56 half, and 1:23.4 three-quarters in the second Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Series tilt, but in the stretch public choice Jet Airway and Randy Waples came roaring up on the outside from second-over and dashed to the wire for the win in 1:50.4. Speckled Door (Doug McNair) finished second, beaten a length and a half, and Mittcent Van Gogh (Jody Jamieson) was the third-place finisher.
Jet Airway, a Jeremes Jet-Aromatic (Artiscape) colt, is trained by Tony Alagna for owners Ervin Miller Stable Inc. of Wind Gap, Pennsylvania, Tangie Massey of Debary, Florida, Paul Sunderhaus of Celina, Ohio, and Larry Agle of Hiram, Ohio. Jet Airway posted his third victory from seven trips behind the gate this year and he now has six career triumphs. He has pocketed $69,493 in 2014 and $131,992 in his life. Jet Airway’s family includes half-sister Angel Scent, a winner of over $208,000 in her career.
Filion was back for another taste of Ontario Sires Stakes Gold in the last section as he guided Victor Bayama to a 1:50.3 verdict. Victor Bayama was up to grab the lead past the :26.2 opening quarter, and after posting middle-half splits of :55.1 and 1:23.1, he zipped home in :27.2 to win by three and a half lengths over Play It Again Sam (Chris Christoforou). Roger Mach Em (Jack Moiseyev) checked in the third position.
Stephane Larocque trains the victorious Mach Three-Joyce Bayama (Run The Table) colt for owner/breeder Bayama Farms Inc. of Saint-Andre-D'Argenteuil, Quebec. An Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots Series winner at two, Victor Bayama was making his seasonal debut following a trio of qualifiers (two wins and a second) over Mohawk’s seven-eighths-mile oval. Victor Bayama, a half-brother to Rebeka Bayama ($715,797) and Omega Bayama ($264,766), is now a three-time winner from 13 career tries and he has put away $102,708.
In addition to the on track Ontario Sires Stakes action, fans at Mohawk Racetrack got to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the OSS with cake and t-shirt tosses. A full schedule of upcoming OSS anniversary celebrations is available here.
The next OSS Gold level event for the three-year-old pacing colts and geldings will take place July 28 at Mohawk Racetrack.
In regular racing action, State Treasurer matched the Canadian season's record of 1:48.1 in the $34,000 Preferred Pace with driver Chris Christoforou aboard.
Firing from post six in the seven-horse field, State Treasurer out-sprinted Mohawk Gold Cup upsetter Evenin Of Pleasure (Sylvain Filion) to the first quarter in :26.2. He got a neck in front at the quarter-pole and quickly cleared down the backstretch. State Treasurer led the way to the half in :54.4 and three-quarters in 1:22.1 before unleashing a :26-second final kicked to seal the deal. He prevailed by two and three-quarter lengths over Evenin Of Pleasure while Ellis Park (Steve Condren) sprinted a wicked :25.2 closing quarter to nab third-place honours.
Dr. Ian Moore trains the popular five-year-old son of Real Desire for owners Sally Macdonald of Souris, P.E.I. and Paul MacDonald of Regina, Sask. He is now five-for-seven on the year with four wins in sub-1:50 fashion. His latest was a new lifetime mark and boosted his bankroll to $639,991.
Bettors Edge has also paced a 1:48.1 mile this year at Mohawk, on June 7 in a top conditioned pace for trainer Ron Burke.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Mohawk Racetrack.
(With files from OSS)