After sweeping the elimination and final of the Canadian Breeders Championship at Mohawk Racetrack in her last two July starts, Monkey On My Wheel travelled to Ottawa, Ont. on Sunday to compete in and win one of two $40,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold eliminations for three-year-old pacing fillies
.
With short fields in the eliminations for their third Gold Series event of the season, the sophomore pacing fillies faced off in what was more like a pair of prep races for next weekend’s final as all eight competitors will advance to the $130,000 event.
With inside starters Patsys Luck scratched lame and Camille scratched sick, the field for the first elimination was reduced to three. Instead of post position five, Athenas Legacy moved over two spots behind the gate and once the wings folded she blasted to command. The Million Dollar Cam-Stonebridge Athena filly and driver Sylvain Filion carved out fractions of :27.3, :57.2 and 1:25.3 en route to a 1:53.2 triumph. She held off pocket-sitter Look Cheap (Robert Shepherd), who scooted up the rail, for the close victory while Waasmula (Anthony Haughan) followed along in third. Athenas Legacy paid $3.90 to win.
The win was Athenas Legacy’s second in four OSS starts after winning a Grassroots event at Mohawk at the start of the season. George McClure trains the bay filly for Ontario owners Carman Hastie of Elmwood, Catherine and Dustin McClure of Clinton and Stephen Brownell of Holland Centre. After going winless in three starts as a freshman, she has won four times in nine outings this year to raise her bankroll to $74,690.
CBC champion Monkey On My Wheel faced a field of five from post position four in the second elimination and after pulling the pocket past the :26.2 opening quarter mark, the odds-on favourite took control and bypassed middle markers of :55.2 and 1:23.1 while extending her lead. The Mach Three-Legislation filly and driver Randy Waples opened up a five length margin on her foes with a :28.3 final frame to prevail in 1:51.4, missing the track record by three-fifths of a second. Modern Connection (Robert Shepherd) came first over to finish second with Imagine Semalu (Sylvain Filion) third, early leader and divisional point leader Village Janus (John MacDonald) fourth, and Machs Delicacy (Anthony Haughon) fifth. Monkey On My Wheel paid $2.20 to win.
Monkey On My Wheel, who sits second in the divisional standings, earned her first OSS victory this year after earning three seconds and one fourth place finish in early Gold action. Travis Umphrey trains and co-owns the bay filly with Mac Nichol of Burlington, Ont. She sports a career record reading 6-7-1 in 17 starts with earnings totalling $388,725.
In other action, Colin Johnson scored a training triple on the 15-race card with Asaltandbattery ($9.60), Awestreos ($14.30) and Soul Chaser ($10.70) winning their respective assignments.
For results from Sunday's harness racing card, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Rideau Carleton Raceway.