The Ontario Sires Stakes season for two-year-old male pacers kicked off on Friday evening, July 5 at Woodbine Mohawk Park with Century Lucifer and Stonebridge Wizard (pictured above) winning a pair of $95,000 divisions.
With Paul MacDonell catch-driving, the favoured Rene Dion trainee Century Lucifer scored an impressive maiden-breaking victory in his second career start after being used twice in the mile and holding off the-late closing Set Shot (Sylvain Filion) by a neck in 1:54 flat over the 'good' track. Time Passer (Louis-Philippe Roy) edged out Bunkhouse Boss (Trevor Henry) to show.
Leaving from post five, MacDonell sent the fired up Century Lucifer to the lead, clearing to command at the quarter pole in :27.1. Time Passer was hot on his heels and took over down the backstretch, but MacDonell moved the favoured colt back out for the retake and swept to the top as they passed the half in :56.2. Heading to three-quarters in 1:25.3, Bunkhouse Boss came to play but Century Lucifer shook off that challenger as they entered the stretch and then held off Set Shot as that rival rallied off cover to make it a close call.
"He responded nice [in the stretch]," commented MacDonell after the victory. "I think he's got that racehorse instinct, so that's going to take him a long way in the future."
The Shadow Play-Exotic Pleasure colt was bred by Century Spring Farms of Gorrie, Ont. He was purchased for $25,000 from last year's London Classic Yearling Sale by S&r Racing Stable Inc. of Acton, Ont., Marc Trudeau of St Sauveur, Que., Sms Ventures Inc. of Montreal, Que., and M And L Of Delaware Llc of Wilmington, Delaware.
Century Lucifer paid $3.90 to win as the 4-5 favourite.
Doug McNair conjured up a winning trip in the second division, sending the Jared Bako-trained Stonebridge Wizard rolling from mid-pack after hot opening fractions and kicking home in :28.1 for the 1:52 triumph over the 'good' track. Sterling Choice (Sylvain Filion) finished 1-1/2 lengths behind in second and Fifth And Five (Jody Jamieson) was third with Allstar Maniac (Louis-Philippe Roy) holding on for fourth over Scratchin An Itch (Jason Ryan).
Sterling Choice, Fifth And Five and Allstar Maniac duked it out early with the 7-5 favourite Allstar Manic landing on top at the :26.2 quarter mark then fronting the field to the half in :55. McNair had Stonebridge Wizard settled in fourth behind the early speed and started to advance mid-way through the final turn, forging three-wide when Sterling Choice popped the pocket in front of him at three-quarters in 1:23.2. McNair tucked Stonebridge Wizard behind cover briefly at the head of the lane then rallied by late to score, giving sire Dancin Lou his first winner.
"There was a little bit of a speed battle on the first turn and mine just kind of relaxed real nice," said McNair afterwards. "Going to the half, he didn't feel like he was going much, he kind of run up on the back of Jody and the half flipped up in :55, so that's a good feeling when they don't feel like they're going much but they really are, so he had a pretty good shot from there."
Stonebridge Wizard is now a perfect two-for-two to launch his career, getting his first stakes win after a maiden-breaking 1:54.1 effort a week ago at Mohawk.
Bred by Angie Stiller of London, Ont., the Dancin Lou-Odds On Magic gelding was a $32,000 yearling purchase from the London Classic Sale for owner David Kryway of Amherstburg, Ont.
Sent postward as the 2-1 second choice, Stonebridge Wizard paid $6.60 to win.
The Ontario Sires Stakes two-year-old pacing colts and geldings will meet again in the second Gold Series leg on on July 15 at Mohawk.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
(Standardbred Canada)