Freshmen trotting fillies were out in full force at Grand River Raceway on Monday evening battling in a quartet of $40,000 OSS Gold Series elims
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Counter Pointe kicked off the card with a 12-1/4 lengths decision for trainer/driver Wayne Henry in a track record-eqauling clocking of 2:00.4. The daughter of Striking Sahbra-Garland Bonita got away third from post seven and she sat there until shortly past the mid-way point before starting a first-over rally. She rushed to the top in backstretch and had two lengths on the field heading into the final quarter. She stormed home in :29.4 to easily defeat Dee Dee Pucker and Warrawee Nuke.
The 2:00.4 decision for Counter Pointe matched the track standard set by Wilsonator on July 13, 2009.
Henry Stable, Daniel McCann and Jeffrey Thomson share ownership on the trotting lass, who was a $60,000 purchase from last year’s Forest City Yearling Sale. She is the younger sister to a pair of former OSS performers, Pointe Of Honour (1:55.1 - $381,229) and Pointe To Pointe (1:58.3 - $168,307).
Witch Way made it look easy in the second elimination thanks to her 1-1/2 lengths triumph in 2:03.3 for the tandem of driver Randy Waples and trainer Joe MacIsaac. The Ken Warkentin-Chelemark Gizmo rookie sat fourth to the quarter pole before rushing to the top and laying down middle panels of 1:02.2 and 1:33.3. Her :30-second closing panel was more than enough to turn aside the first-over prompter, Wark Woman, and third-place finisher Frisky Strike.
Doug Millard of Woodstock and the filly’s breeder, Carolyn Williston of Moffat, ON, share the ownership on the talented trotting lass who was making her pari-mutuel debut.
Circles got up in the closing strides to take home the trophy in the third elimination for Hall-of-Fame driver Jacques Hebert and trainer John Smith. The daughter of Majestic Son-Merles Image sat third while Kandian Klub threw down fractions of :29.1 and :59. Quantum Ladydabra took over the lead in the third quarter and led the field past the third juncture in 1:30, but she couldn’t fend off a late surging Circles, who only needed a :30.4 final quarter to post the 2:01.1 decision by three-quarters of a length. Quantum Ladydabra was second, with My Old Flame grabbing third prize.
Sent off as the 3-2 favourite in the eight-filly affair, Circles made her pari-mutuel debut a winning one for John Smith Racing Stb Inc of Woodlawn, ON. She is the sister to a number of stakes winners including Mc Cooeye (1:55.1 - $1,126,791), Merles Pearl (1:55.4 - $337,914), Potato Race (1:55.3 - $313,549) and Buckhams Bay (1:57 - $309,800).
Destinys Magic survived a first-over journey to deliver on his 1-2 pari-mutuel promise in the fourth elimination. Paul MacDonell convinced the daughter of Kadabra-Gracious Glide to track down Northern Senorita in the final strides en route to the half-length score over that foe in 2:03.2. Fiorentina was a well-beaten third in the $40,000 tilt.
Trainer Dan Lagace co-owns the juvenile with Michelle Gagne and Jack Darling Stables Ltd of Cambridge, ON. The filly was a $7,000 bargain buy from last year’s Lexington Select Yearling Sale.
The top two finishers from each of Monday’s eliminations will advance to next Monday’s final. Here’s how they’ll line up on the starting gate:
$130,000 OSS Gold Series Final
1. Wark Woman
2. Witch Way
3. Destinys Magic
4. Counter Pointe
5. Dee Dee Pucker
6. Quantum Ladydabra
7. Northern Senorita
8. Circles
To view results for Monday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Monday Results – Grand River Raceway.