The 2013 crop of freshman pacing fillies opened their Gold Series season in impressive fashion at Mohawk Racetrack on Monday, July 1.
The novice pacers turned in three sharp miles, with the fastest clocking coming from Book Babe in the last $70,000 split. In rein to Billy Davis, Jr., the Shadow Play daughter rocked around the Mohawk oval to a 1:52.4 victory, five and one-half lengths ahead of her peers and just four-fifths of a second shy of the Ontario Sires Stakes record for two-year-old pacing fillies on a seven-eighths mile oval. Anette Lorentzon trains Book Babe for Brian Stephens of Ohio.
Cambridge resident Davis, Jr. also won the first division, guiding Brickyard Val to a hard-fought neck decision over Yoselin Seelster. The Santanna Blue Chip daughter, who stopped the clock at 1:54.2, is trained by Rockwood resident Carl Jamieson for Stephen Morton of Windsor, NS.
Shadow Play daughter Alibi Seelster and Paul MacDonell of Guelph captured the other two-year-old split.
Doug McNair also picked up a pair of Ontario Sires Stakes victories at Mohawk on Monday evening, but his success came in the three-year-old pacing filly division. The Guelph resident reunited with last year’s Super Final champion Love Canal for a confident 1:51.3 win.
McNair also piloted Jettin Jamie to a 1:52.1 clocking.
McNair’s father Gregg, also of Guelph, trains Jettin Jamie for Tom Harmer of Illinois and Gerry Bookmyer of Ohio, and Cambridge resident Tony O’Sullivan conditions Love Canal on behalf of Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Robert Cooper Stables LLC of Florida and J and T Silva Stables LLC of New York.
The other three-year-old pacing filly trophy went home with Best Impressions, driven to a 1:51.3 squeaker by Moffat resident Jody Jamieson for trainer Ben Wallace of Milton.
The two-year-old pacing fillies make their second Gold Series start at Rideau Carleton Raceway on July 11, while the top point earners from the first two sophomore pacing filly legs will compete in the Mid-Summer Challenge at Mohawk Racetrack on August 10.
Ontario Sires Stakes action returns to Mohawk on Thursday, July 4 with a Gold Series leg for the two-year-old trotting colts.
To view results for Monday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Monday Results – Mohawk Racetrack.