The 2017 Atlantic Sires Stakes race season officially got underway on Sunday, June 4 at Truro Raceway.
A total of four divisions of the AtSS three-year-old pacing fillies gathered for competition at the Truro, NS oval. The fillies met in three 'A' divisions, each of which were contested for a purse of $7,600. A lone $2,500 'B' division rounded out the card.
The ‘B’ division kicked off the Sunday AtSS action at Truro, as the Robert Phillips-trained and Gilles Barrieau-driven Traces Of Purple ($4.00) won Race 2 in a life’s best 1:59.4. Sent off as the even-money favourite, the bay Brandons Cowboy filly started from Post 6, cut all the fractions (:28.3, 1:00, 1:30.1) and won by a nose. Elm Grove Luck (driven by Ryan Ellis) finished second, while Woodmere Lukypercy (Clare MacDonald) finished third. Trainer Phillips conditions for his partner, Kevin Harvey, who also bred the filly.
The first of the ‘A’ divisions (Race 5) saw the brown Proven Lover lass Filly Forty Seven ($2.80) record a one-length, gate-to-wire win in 1:59.1 for trainer/driver Marc Campbell. The fractions were cut in :28.2, :59.1 and 1:29.2 by the Post 3 starter. Winrlosedrnkdaboze (Gilles Barrieau) closed for second and Pictonian Dazzle (Ryan Ellis) finished third. Filly Forty Seven is owned by Darryl Maclean, Katelyn Smallwood, Cory Carver and Tanya Tremblett.
The Marc Campbell-trained and driven Western Paradise filly Elektra Express ($2.20) won the next of the ‘A’ divisions (Race 8). The brown lass started from Post 4, earned the lead by the three-quarters pole, and powered off to a five and a half-length victory in a life’s best 1:56.2. The fractions were sliced in :28.1, :58.1 and 1:27.3. Kinda Like Her (Gilles Barrieau) finished second and Glenview Paisley (Ernie Laffin) was third. Elektra Express is a homebred of Danica Ellis.
The final ‘A’ division was contested in Race 11, and it was the Earl Watts-trained and Clare MacDonald-driven Bonzai Beach ($8.40) that produced a minor upset. The Ameripan Gigolo bay left from Post 4 and sat a pocket trip as Elm Grove Ladyluck carved the fractions in :28.2, :58 and 1:27.4. Bonzai Beach got out in the lane and up for a half-length victory in a life’s best 1:57.4. Elm Grove Ladyluck (Marc Campbell) finished second, while Shesaroyal Cowgirl (Mark Bradley) finished third. Bonsai Beach is owned by Daniel Ross and Boyd MacDonald Prodce Ltd.
To view the harness racing results for Sunday at Truro, click the following link: Sunday Results – Truro Raceway.