Conditioner Travis Ellis thrived on the 11-race card at the Miami Fair on Saturday (July 30), winning six races on the card including a sweep of both divisions of the Lady Crocus stakes.
Odds-on favourite JKs Lifesaver fired first over into the final turn to land in front by a length in the $14,160 first division of the Lady Crocus.
Driver Blake Piwniuk, who won five on the card, sat third with the Ellis trainee while Sassy Libby led through opening fractions of :29.1 and 1:01.1. Thiessen then took the daughter of JK Endofanera off the pegs and blitzed the pacesetter by three-quarters in 1:30.1, though he lost ground with the wide route off the turn that she recouped with ease. She forged to the front to the finish to stop the clock in 2:00.3 over Sassy Libby, while Automagically finished third beaten another 13 lengths and P H Dynamite checked in fourth.
Adam Mace, Tim Gordon and Brett Earle own JKs Lifesaver, who won her second race from six starts and has now banked $10,735. She paid $3.90 to win.
Hallelujah Chorus took the helm early in the $14,360 division of the Lady Crocus and coasted home to top an Ellis exacta in a 2:01.2 mile.
Taking the top to a :29.3 first quarter, Hallelujah Chorus kept her competition chasing as she clicked a 1:01.2 half and to three-quarters in 1:31.3 before kicking clear to win by five lengths by the beam. Perpetual rallied after losing the pocket up the backstretch to take second while This Girl Rules faded from a mid-race push to finish third. Fall Out Girl took fourth, beaten another 19 lengths.
Brett Earle owns Hallelujah Chorus, a Vertical Horizon filly who broke her maiden in her fourth start and padded her account to $8,730. Don Howlett drove the $4.60 winner.
Ellis’ other victories came in undercard events. His pupils Irish Melvin ($6.50), Cartiere ($7.60), Mystic Dragon and Two To Ten ($4.60) all visited the winner’s circle. Blake Piwniuk piloted all of Ellis' remaining winners.
Helter Skelter scored in the $4,200 Horses & Geldings Open Pace to win in 1:57.4. The team of trainer Richard Rey and driver Michel Rey landed a front-stepping victory off fractions of :30.1, 1:00 and 1:28.2 to win by a length over closing Woodmere Alvin while pocket-sitter Senga Savannah faded to third. Lavernue and Ron Turnbull own the four-year-old Shadow Play gelding who won his ninth race from 45 starts and has now banked $53,221. He paid $6.10 to win.
In the $4,000 co-featured Fillies & Mares Open Pace, Pure Addition led every step to win in 2:00.3. Driver Tyler Grundy protected position from the pylon post with the six-year-old Riverboat King mare and set a clip of :29.3, 1:01.1 and 1:30.4 to score by a length over Lil Screamer. Jacqueline Grundy trains the winner of 31 races from 81 starts and $119,089. She races for owner Aurel Vodon and paid $4.70 to win.
To view Saturday’s harness racing results, click the following link: Saturday Results – Miami Fair.