Counter Pointe lined up at the centre of the Flamboro Downs starting gate in the $130,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Final on Wednesday afternoon and the two-year-old trotting filly powered straight to the front and on to the winner’s circle
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In rein to trainer Wayne Henry, elimination winner Counter Pointe accelerated away from Post 4 and reached the opening quarter in :29.3. As she did in last week’s elimination round, the filly controlled the tempo through a 1:00.1 half and a 1:30.4 three-quarters, leading the field by as much as two lengths.
Turning for home, Henry and Counter Pointe were still comfortably in hand, and the pair was able fight off a challenge from elimination winner Circles (Jacques Hebert), who earned the runner-up’s share of the purse in spite of making a late break in stride. Dancehall Mistress (Trevor Ritchie) traveled up the outside into third spot while reigning Gold champion and fan favourite Witch Way (Randy Waples) had to settle for fourth.
The 2:00.4 half-length win was the third in four starts for Counter Pointe, whose only loss came in the season opening Gold Final at Grand River Raceway, where she made a bobble behind the starting gate and wound up fourth. Henry and his partners in the Henry Stable of Arthur, Ont., Dan McCann of Parkhill, Ont. and Jeffrey Thomson of Chesley, Ont. share ownership on Counter Pointe, who was a $60,000 acquisition out of last fall’s Forest City Yearling Sale. The daughter of Striking Sahbra and $246,422 winner Garland Bonita is a full sister to Pointe Of Honour, who has banked $399,969 in his career, and a half-sister to Pointe To Pointe, who earned $168,307 for the Henry Stable and Thomson.
Counter Pointe’s next Gold Series start comes August 8 at Mohawk Racetrack, where she will be aiming for her third straight elimination triumph. The third of five Gold Finals on the freshman trotting filly calendar goes postward on August 15.
Ontario Sires Stakes excitement returns to Flamboro Downs on Sunday, August 7 when the Dundas oval will play host to Gold elimination action for both the two-year-old pacing colts and the three-year-old trotting colts. The top finishers from the elimination round will be featured on the track’s outstanding Confederation Cup program on Sunday, August 14.
For results from Wednesday's harness racing card, click on the following link: Wednesday Results - Flamboro Downs.
(With files from OSS)