Warrawee Vicky ($2.10) surely looked the part of an odds-on favourite in Wednesday's (July 24) Ontario Sires Stakes Gold competition for two-year-old trotting fillies at Grand River Raceway, running her unblemished record to four wins in as many starts with a facile performance.
The daughter of Royalty For Life and The Tall Poppy was widest of four trotters to leave in pursuit of the lead in the $72,266 first division, and she inherited the second spot an eighth of a mile in as Instant Karma (Trevor Henry) broke. After a brief tuck, Sylvain Filion moved Warrawee Vicky to clear P L Nikita (Jody Jamieson) after a sharp :28.4 first quarter. She then rated soft middle sectionals of :59.2 and 1:31.1 before accelerating away from an advancing Jasmine Volo (James MacDonald) on the far turn.
In similar fashion to two of her three earlier wins, Warrawee Vicky drew clear steadily in the stretch, scoring in 2:01.1 by a widening 2-3/4 lengths while under absolutely no urging. P L Nikita remained a clear second from the pocket while Highland Foxytrotr (Louis-Philippe Roy) saved ground to take third.
Scott McEneny trains Warrawee Vicky for Brad Grant. The $11,000 London Selected purchase has earned her four victories by a combined 13-1/2 lengths.
“She’s pretty good. I’m pretty happy with her anyways right now. Robbie (Robinson) did a great job with her and I’ve got to respect Brad Grant for stepping up and buying her. He’s not afraid to do that,” said McEneny. “She looks the part and hopefully we keep going.”
In the $72,266 second division, She Rocks Kemp ($3.40) used a sustained first-over ascent to break maiden in 2:01.2.
Paul MacDonell kept the daughter of Kadabra and Southwind Adele close to the action from the pole, stalking a :29 first quarter from third behind Emily Antoinette (Ryan Holliday), who in turn yielded control Shape Shifter (MacDonald) thereafter. After Shape Shifter pulled the half back to 1:00.1, She Rocks Kemp made her presence felt on the outside, surging to a narrow lead just before reaching three-quarters in 1:31.1.
Midway around the far turn, Shape Shifter stuck her head back in front, but She Rocks Kemp countered in the final sixteenth and edged away to a 1-1/2 length victory. Shape Shifter held second, while Emily Antoinette chased evenly to finish third.
Richard "Nifty" Norman, who trains She Rocks Kemp for the partnership of Melvin Hartman, David McDuffee and the Pinske Stables, was pleased with his student's effort despite the smaller track not being her element.
“I don’t think the half-mile track is her forte, but she was very good. I was very pleased with the way she stuck to it,” he said. “She got a little rough a couple times, but Mac (MacDonell) did a good job with her and she’s a good strong filly and finished up good, so I was really thrilled with the way she raced.”
The $73,066 third division saw odds-on favourites complete their sweep of the Gold action, as Intense Justice ($3.50) sprinted clear early and called every shot of a 2:04.2 mile in line to Chris Christoforou.
The pair had no trouble clearing from post 6, and they coasted uncontested through splits of :31.3, 1:03.3 and 1:34.2 before opening daylight on the far turn. A break by pocket rival She Started It (Bob McClure) at head-stretch all but ensured victory for Intense Justice, who coasted to an easy victory by 4-1/4 lengths. Zebs Flur (Stephen Byron) emerged up the open stretch to take second over SOS Playhard (Sylvain Grenier), who flattened in the breeze but still held third.
Dany Fontaine trains Intense Justice, a daughter of Justice Hall and Intense America who has won two of her three starts to date, for Ecurie Gaetan Bono Inc.
To view Wednesday's harness racing results, click the following link: Wednesday Results – Grand River Raceway.
(with quotes from OSS)