Menhammar Stuteri AB's Bright Eyes M ($3.70) claimed her second Ontario Sires Stakes Gold victory of the season on Wednesday (July 3) at Grand River Raceway, posting a resounding 1:55.4 victory in her $73,066 event for three-year-old trotting fillies.
After leaving from post 3 in the first OSS division (race three), Bright Eyes M and Steve Byron were looped off the gate by 35-1 outsider Cambridge Kate (Jody Jamieson), only to accelerate up the backstretch and clear at the conclusion of a :28.1 first quarter. After controlling a :57.4 half, the daughter of Kadabra edged away by three lengths nearing three-quarters in 1:26.3 and built on that margin through the final turn.
In the end, Bright Eyes M left Cambridge Kate in the dust at the eighth pole and sprinted off to a 7-1/4 length victory over Haveoneforme (Paul MacDonell), who rallied steadily into a no-match second, while HP Bruxelles (Louis-Philippe Roy) improved late for third.
John Bax trains Bright Eyes M, whose 1:55.4 effort established new track, stakes, and Canadian records for three-year-old trotting fillies on a half-mile track. She has won three of five races — including a June 3 Gold event at Woodbine Mohawk Park — and banked over $119,000 this season.
“I was not sure how things would go, but she was impressive,” said Bax.
The $73,066 second division (race six) saw Teddys Littleangel ($4.50) control a comfortable pace before narrowly parrying a late challenge from pocket rival Mattys Smilin in 1:57.4.
Doug McNair had to work to clear with Teddys Littleangel on the first turn, accelerating to get past Mattys Smilin (Roy) before controlling splits of :29.2, :59.3 and 1:29.1 while under no pressure. With an eighth of a mile to go, Mattys Smilin angled off the pegs and lunged forward nearing the line, but Teddys Littleangel clung to the lead, prevailing by a neck. Angelic Speed (Trevor Henry) gave futile chase for third while seven lengths in arrears.
It was the first seasonal win for the daughter of Archangel, who races for owner-breeder Leonard Gamble and trainer Ted MacDonell.
In the $73,866 third division (race nine), HP Titania Runner ($13.00) circled stalled cover a quarter from home on her way to a 1:57.2 victory, which was made easier by the break of 8-5 favourite Angies Luckeylady at the top of the stretch.
With Angies Luckeylady and Trevor Henry rating fractions of :28.3 and :59.2, Louis-Philippe Roy angled HP Titania Runner second-over behind the advancing Halo Its Me (Randy Waples). After Halo Its Me flattened midway up the backstretch into a :28.4 third quarter, Roy swung HP Titania Runner three-wide to take her shot on the far turn. Just upon cornering for home, Angies Luckeylady broke stride, enabling HP Titania Runner to inherit the lead. The daughter of E L Titan matinained 1-1/2 lengths of clearance over Sams Arsenal (Michael Vanderkemp), who took over second from an earned pocket. Blue Magic (Scott Young) gave chase to save third.
“She’s got a little more aggressive earlier in the season than she was last year, and that didn’t help her with a few breaking issues she had,” said Roy. “Tonight, she was trotting solid. Rene Bourassa and his team did a great job on her; I just had to wait until the good moment to move her.”
Rene Bourassa trains the Claude Hamel and Michel Damphousse homebred HP Titania Runner, whose Gold win was her first of the season after breaking at Woodbine Mohawk Park in June and capturing four of eight races as a two-year-old.
To view Wednesday's harness racing results, click the following link: Wednesday Results – Grand River Raceway.
(with quotes from OSS)