P L Ozzy and his trainer, Amanda Riley, delivered standout performances on a 12-dash meet-opening card at Kawartha Downs on Saturday, June 6 as the stallion romped in the $5,700 Preferred Handicap Pace to start a natural grand slam for the conditioner.
Riley, last season’s leading trainer at Kawartha, combined with defending driving champion Nick Boyd to win the first feature of the year. Coming off a 55-1 upset win at Woodbine Mohawk Park, P L Ozzy dashed to the lead for Boyd and held sway over the field through :27.1, :56.1 and 1:24.1 fractions. He reigned without contest for the first three quarters and was not challenged in the stretch as he strode to a three-length score in 1:52.3. Century Lucifer (Rene Dion) got the place cheque off a pocket trip, and Why Wouldnt Ya (Gord Brown) came home gamely off a three-wide move for third.
The winner, a veteran Sunshine Beach-Taylorlane Action stallion, has won three of his past four starts for trainer Riley after starting the season winless in three. Bryn Campbell of Port Hope, Ont. and Barry McClennan of Cavan, Ont. own the eight-year-old. P L Ozzy is now 35-for-122 lifetime and has earned $398,857. Win backers received a $3 payoff.
Riley enlisted Boyd again in the ninth race to steer Dragononthebeach ($2.30), who uncorked an 8-1/4-length 1:52.3 victory. Shadrack Hanover ($7.80) completed the Riley triple as he cut the mile for Gord Brown en route to a 3-1/2-length score in 1:55.3. The trainer’s grand slam was not in doubt down the lane in the 11th race, as her Settn A Precedent (Boyd) dug in to hold off stablemate Topville Checkmein (Brown) by a neck for the 1:55 triumph. Riley took the local crown with 22 wins in the 2025 meet and is on top of the current term’s standings following her opening-night quadruple. She is now nine-for-75 overall this season.
An accident occurred in the sixth race past three-quarters. Trudybird, driven by Boyd, made contact with the wheel of Hesohot Hanover (Doug Brown) while pulling off the rail from third and fell. The incident scattered the field, but all other horses and drivers stayed up. Trudybird walked off the track under her own power. Boyd suffered no injuries and completed the rest of his drives.
Kawartha Downs will hold racing on Saturday evenings through to Oct. 3, except for July 11 and Sept. 26.
To view Saturday’s harness racing results, click the following link: Saturday Results - Kawartha Downs.
(Standardbred Canada; photo of P L Ozzy winning on Aug. 23, 2025)