Rideau Carleton’s track record for two-year-old trotting fillies took a beating on Sunday night, first by Danielle Hall then Stubborn Belle in two $105,000 Ontario Sires Stakes divisions, the track’s first OSS events of the year.
In the first division, Railee Priti grabbed early control, but she was covered up before the :28.2 first quarter by Danielle Hall. That filly trotted by the half in a sedate :58.2 and had company in the form of Muscle Baby Doll at the 1:27.3 third quarter. Danielle Hall was up to the challenge though and held strong through the stretch to win in 1:56.2 over Muscle Baby Doll and Juanitas Fury.
The win was the third in four lifetime starts for Danielle Hall, a daughter of Deweycheatumnhowe owned by trainer Carl Jamieson of Rockwood, Ont. along with Winnipeg Racing of Concord, Ont.
“Carl told me she was a nice filly, he was right,” praised Mario Baillargeon, who guided the filly to the victory. “We got a little breather from the quarter to the half. She felt pretty good in the last turn, I tried to get away from Dougie [McNair aboard Muscle Baby Doll] and I did just enough to keep him at bay in the lane.”
Bred by Walnut Hall Ltd. Of Kentucky, the filly was a $21,000 yearling purchase. Tonight’s win put her over $100,000 in earnings in her young career. She is the third foal from the $247,000 winner Debbie Hall and a full sister to Danica Hall, who earned $108,000 from just six starts last year at two.
The time took almost a full second off the previous track standard of 1:57.1 set two years ago by Seeuinthespring, but it didn’t last two races as Stubborn Belle reduced it further in the second OSS test.
In that division, it was Allies Gift showing the way past the opening quarter in :27.1 and the half in :57, but up came Stubborn Belle, who took over before the 1:26 three-quarters for Paul MacDonell and never looked back to win by more than five lengths in 1:55.4. Bistrobistro Taj was second followed by Youre Majestic.
“She’s always been a lot like her name, that’s why she was named Stubborn Belle. She’s been a little hard to get to do it the way we want her to. I think Paul let her do her own thing tonight,” noted trainer John Bax, who shares ownership of the Taurus Dream daughter with his Parkhill Stud Farm partners and Al Libfeld of Pickering, Ont.
“I set a world record here with Goodtimes many years ago in the Frank Ryan so I always like coming back here,” he added. Goodtimes’ mark of 1:53.3, set in 1999, still stands at the Ottawa track.
As for the plans for the filly bred by Hanover Shoe Farms and sold for $85,000 last year at Harrisburg, Bax said, “I think she’ll take on the Grand Circuit back at Mohawk in September and if everything goes well I’m hoping to start her in the Breeders Crown.”
The next Gold event for this group is set for August 18 at Mohawk.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Rideau Carleton Raceway.
(With files from OSS)