Dancer Hall left his rivals in the dust as he took off down the stretch in the $75,000 Honourable Earl Rowe Memorial Trot, Georgian Downs' signature race, on Sunday night (August 19).
Driver Sylvain Filion worked out the winning trip for trainer Paul Reid and notched his second successive victory in the Earl Rowe. He also won last year's edition of the invitational trot with the Luc Blais-trained Lookslikeachpndale.
Parked through a first quarter in :28, Dancer Hall pressed on and cleared to command in front of the grandstand ahead of early leaver Big Rich and even-money favourite Warrawee Roo, one of two Blais trainees in this year's field (the other being Jake, who ended up breaking stride).
Dancer Hall reached the half in :56.2 as Warrawee Roo swept up to challenge for the lead and those two raced side-by-side past three-quarters in 1:24. However, Dancer Hall took off down the stretch to win by four and three-quarters lengths in 1:52.2, equalling his lifetime mark. B Yoyo and Catch The Dream came on for second and third, respectively. Warrawee Roo was edged out for fourth by Odds On Amethyst.
Dancer Hall was the 6-5 second choice in the wagering and paid $4.60 to win.
The son of Deweycheatemnhowe and Daylon Mystique has now earned eighth wins and five seconds from 13 starts during his four-year-old campaign for owner 1187422 Ontario Inc. of Ottawa, Ont. The victory was his 16th lifetime and pushed his bankroll to $273,150.
Write Me A Song set a new track and Canadian record for three-year-old pacing fillies on Sunday's card winning the $125,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold leg in 1:51 flat with Paul MacDonell catch-driving for trainer/owner Jack Darling.
Write Me A Song led all the way, setting fractions of :26.3, :55.1 and 1:22.2 before knocking one-fifth of a second off the divisional records set by Village Janus (Georgian track record) and Michelles Power (Canadian record over a five-eighths mile track). The Sportswriter-Song Writer filly held off Quints Dream, who closed within a neck on the far outside, and her pylon-skimming stablemate Neon Moon.
“I didn’t know what the track record was, but it doesn’t surprise me that she went in 1:51,” said Darling. “It’s a tremendous group of fillies, I knew they’d go fast and I knew she was sharp, I was just hoping she could get the job done.”
Sent postward as the 3-2 favourite, Write Me A Song earned her fourth consecutive victory and returned $5 to her backers at the betting windows.
Most recently, she swept the Kin Pace elimination and final before earning back-to-back Gold wins and now boasts a 7-2-1 sophomore record from 12 starts.
A $47,000 Canadian Yearling Sale purchase, Write Me A Song is now 10-for-16 lifetime with earnings totalling $246,212.
The undercard included a pair of $12,500 Preferred 2s, which were won by pacer Major Hill (Chris Christoforou, 1:52) and trotting mare April Rose (Ed Hensley, 1:54.2). McKinney took the $9,500 Preferred 3 Pace in 1:52.4 with Colin Kelly aboard.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Georgian Downs.
(With quotes from OSS)