Climb The Pole posted an upset victory in the fourth leg of the Ontario Sires Stakes Gold for three-year-old trotting fillies on Tuesday (Aug. 15) at Woodbine Mohawk Park and took home the winner's share of the $159,000 purse with a career-best performance.
Jody Jamieson sent the Carl Jamieson trainee rushing from the gate from post four and to the top after out-sprinting nine other foes. As the field straightened out, Climb The Pole had struck the quarter in :27. An outer charge built up from mid-pack, but Climb The Pole was left uncontested en route to the :57.3 half. Favoured Righteous Resolve (James MacDonald) tipped out to lead the outer flow from first over, holding a brief lead through the three-quarters in 1:26. Climb The Pole resisted the challenge and trotted down the lane to a career-best victory in 1:54. She crossed the wire 1-1/4 lengths in front of Baroness Hill (Louis-Philippe Roy). Righteous Resolve finished third.
Off at odds of 24-1, Climb The Pole paid $50.40 to win.
"It worked out tonight. I didn't have to push her too hard leaving," said Jamieson. " I just let her keep trotting. My filly felt great, so I just let her trot and, you know, I'm standing here [doing a winner's post-race interview] now so it's really cool."
Jody and Carl Jamieson co-own the sophomore daughter of Kadabra and the Amigo Hall mare Legzy with Steve Heimbecker and Aaron Byron. After Tuesday's win, Climb The Pole moved her seasonal record to 4-0-1 with $170,258 banked.
Resilience made every pole a winning one in the $104,000 OSS Gold third-leg division for two-year-old pacing fillies with Louis-Philippe Roy in the bike for Eric Nadeau.
Scratched down to a field of nine, post 10 starter Resilience left from the far outside and crossed the track diagonally to make the front. She notched each panel in :27, :56.3 and 1:24.2, facing no opponents until the final turn. Down the lane, favourite Its A Love Thing (MacDonald) challenged Resilience to her right with Odds On Platinum (Sylvain Filion) challenging from the inside. Its A Love Thing beared out while Resilience and Odds On Platinum were locked in stride. With three across the wire, it was a photo for the finish. Resilience prevailed by a neck in 1:52 over Odds On Platinum, who finished a neck in front of show finisher Its A Love Thing.
Resilience paid a $23.70 win ticket from 11-1 odds.
It was career-best time for the Jimmy Freight-Mia Seelster filly. Resilience now owns two wins and a second in three starts to go along with $87,317 earned. She is owned by Roy, Ecurie Francis Richard Inc., Ecurie Csl and Weaver Bruscemi LLC.
In the other $103,100 OSS Gold division for the freshman pacing fillies, Pass Line honoured her role as the favourite in the field of nine.
Longshot Blazing Belle (Billy Davis Jr.) fired out of post nine and cleared the early lead. Coming out of the first turn, Pass Line (MacDonald) had acquired the lead and took the field to the opening panel in :27.2. Betterwithglasses (Trevor Henry) took over once the field straightened out, but only for a brief split as Bettor Sisters (Jamieson) pulled first over from fourth and aimed straight to the top. After the :55.4 half, Pass Line was back out and moving. She passed the three-quarters in 1:23.2 and down the lane, it was a race for second. Collusion Hanover (Roy) sprinted from seventh, but ran out of track as Pass Line won by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:52. Wicked Weather (Filion) finished third.
Pass Line paid $3.80 as the 4-5 bettors' choice.
David Menary trains the daughter of All Bets Off-Breakheart Pass for Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. Pass Line boasts $167,252 earned from a record of 5-1-1 in seven starts.
To view Tuesday's harness racing results, click the following link: Tuesday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.