Grassroots mania was in full effect Tuesday evening at Mohawk Racetrack, as three-year-old trotting fillies flocked to the Campbellville oval for six OSS divisions.
Magic Factory rallied for a 1:57.3 victory in the $18,000 opening division for trainer/driver Lorne House. Wings Of Ballykeel and Love Detective took turns on the lead through panels of :28, :58.2 and 1:26.2 before Magic Factory worked her way to the front en route to posting the 3-1 mini upset. Race favourite Love Detective weakened late and settled for the runner-up spot while Missys Ga Ga took home the show dough.
Chantal Ruijs of Harley, Ontario owns the daughter of Kadabra-Muscle Shirt, who won for the third time in nine seasonal assignments. The victory helped her nearly double her earnings, which now stand at $18,684.
The winning streak is now three-in-a-row and counting for Mystical Wishes, who turned a two-hole trip into a career-best clocking of 1:55.1 in the second division. Billy Davis, Jr. tripped out the Tony Alagna pupil behind the front-stepping Quadrophenia, who sliced out splits of :29, :57.3 and 1:26.1. Mystical Wishes angled off the rail nearing the head of the lane, and she easily sprinted past Quadrophenia en route to posting the win. Quadrophenia was second best, with Chelseas Chance a distant third.
The homebred daughter of Muscle Mass-Caseys Lil Lane is owned by Indiana partners Mystical Marker Farms LLC of Dyer and Peggy Hood of Valparaiso. The filly is now 5-for-8 this season after going 0-for-4 as a freshman. She added another $9,000 to her lifetime earnings which now sit at $39,740.
Audrey Pearl turned a second-over trip into a 1:56.4 stakes score in the third division for the tandem of driver Anthony MacDonald and trainer Herb Holland. The homebred had fractions of :28.4, :58.3 and 1:28 in front of her, and when she catapulted off the cover of Lenny Mac in the lane she used a :28.2 closing quarter to win by 3-1/4 lengths over race favourite Acapulco Hall, with Flexible Woman fading to finish third.
Holland shares ownership on the daughter of Cornaro Dasolo-Domina with Vince Strangis and Mike Pelosi. The partners watched the filly improve this year’s record to 2-2-0 from nine trips to the track, and they watched her bank account swell to $36,355 with the win.
Torches Star captured the fourth division in first-over fashion for Hall of Fame driver Steve Condren. The daughter of Angus Hall-Torch wore down I Jasmin, who cut middle fractions of :58 and 1:27.1 before settling for second. Torches Star drew clear to win by two lengths in 1:57.3. Rounding out the top three finishers was Dream Act.
Ben Wallace trains the sophomore for owner Brad Grant of Milton, Ontario. The victory improved this year’s record to 2-0-2 from nine trips to the track and the lion’s share of the purse lifted her cash stash to $70,144.
Miss Aultsville rallied into a slowing tempo and grabbed her first win of the year thanks to her 1:57.4 triumph in the fifth division. Jack Moiseyev got the John Kopas trainee into the flow in the backstretch, and she fanned out wide in the lane and used a :30.2 closing quarter to win by 1-3/4 lengths over Carefulwhatyouwish. Race favourite Diamonds For Life had to settle for third prize.
Kopas co-owns the homebred daughter of Kadabra-Keystone Betty with Old Aultsville Stable and Pealer Pen. The three-time winner has banked $161,565 in her career.
Kate Smith took the final division, and in doing so extended her winning streak to two-in-a-row. The homebred daughter of Cornaro Dasolo-Frannies Ridge was far off the speed in the early stages of the mile, but she launched off cover turning for home and fired home to win in 1:57.1 for driver James MacDonald. Hollywood Drama was second under the line, with Aphrodity taking home the show dough.
It was a stakes double on the card for Herb Holland, who trains the trotting lass for Carolyn Mac Isaac of Milton, Ontario. It was the third win of the season for the career winner of $25,960.
To view results for Tuesday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Tuesday Results – Mohawk Racetrack.