Records came down and cheers went up from the crowd as Grand River Raceway hosted its annual Industry Day on Monday, Aug. 4. An all-age record for the Elora, ON five-eighth-mile track was set in one of two blazing Ontario Sires Stakes Gold divisions for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings, while a pair of standout Ontario-sired two-year-old pacers stamped their names into Battle of the Belles and Battle of Waterloo history each with Canadian Record miles.
Undefeated Beau Jangles established a new divisional track record for two-year-old male pacers in the fastest-ever Battle of Waterloo. The Cattlewash cold put up scorching times winning the race in 1:51.
The $227,100 Battle of Waterloo, presented by Winbak Farm, final went forward with a field of eight colts and geldings, no eliminations required.
Beau Jangles (pictured above) and driver Bob McClure left aggressively, with Tilthecowscomehome (Jody Jamieson) and three-wide D A Lets Dance (Doug McNair) to his outside, as Borderline Mobby (James MacDonald) sat fourth behind them. McNair's 51-1 longshot made front before the 26.3 opening quarter, but quickly faced first-over pressure from Titlthecowscomehome, shadowed by second-over 2-5 favourite Beau Jangles, who made front after a brief three-wide move. Beau Jangles led to the half in 54.4, keeping just ahead of Tilthecowscomehome as No Waitlist (Jordan Stratton) brushed into first-over third along the backstretch. He maintained a length and a half lead at three-quarters, which he reached in 1:23.3.
No Waitlist backed down on the final turn, while Tilthecowscomehome gained ground down the stretch but could not catch McClure's powerful 1:51f winner. Dax Seelster (Trevor Henry) closed well for show.
Bob McClure also praised Beau Jangles in the winners' circle. "I don't think I've come into a Grand Circuit race with the confidence that I had in this guy. You know, he really hasn't even been tested yet. In his very first start, I took it easy on him, not knowing where the bottom was. I turned it into a bit of a sprint and he outsprinted them home. In his second start, he had to really work to get there, and it almost played in his favour: He's so big and strong that he just drove away from them."
Undefeated Cattlewash-Mrs Major Hill colt Beau Jangles is trained by Dr. Ian Moore, is owned by Graham Grace Stables Llc of Clifton, VA; Kiwi Stables Llc of La Plata, MD; and Bolton Stables of Clermont, FL and and was bred by Tara Hills Stud Ltd. of Port Perry, ON.
The mark of 1:51 lowered the previous Canadian Record for two-year-old pacing colts on a five-eighths mile race track of 1:51.3 established by Falcons Future at Mohawk in 1993.
The $153,000 Battle of the Belles final saw a dominate performance from 3-2 favourite Daya and driver Jody Jamieson. The Jack Darling trainee was sent by Jamieson sent to challenge the leader near the 54.4 half, and she opened up by more than four lengths before three-quarters, which she reached all alone in 1:22.1. Lavender Seelster (Paul MacKenzie) edged out TH Check Me Out for place, both well behind the 1:50.4f winner.
Daya (p,2,1;50.4f; $127,600) lowered Romantic Beauty's 1:52.2 track record for two-year-old filly pacers, set in that rival's Battle of the Belles elimination. The homebred daughter of Bulldog Hanover-Beach Of A Time is owned by Jack Darling Stables Ltd. She has won 3 of 4 seasonal starts, finishing second in OSS Gold leg #2 at Mohawk July 17 before rebounding to win her July 28 Battle of the Belles elim in 1:53.3.
Afterward, Jody Jamieson gave full credit to Daya for the dominating performance.
"Well, I don't think that anybody expects a 1:50.4 mile at any time from a two-year-old pacing filly, at any point in the year, really. Obviously they go fast—they're going faster and faster earlier each year—but it's pretty hard to expect. I moved her here, in front of the grandstand, just to make sure that I was in no trouble, and I just let her pace, and holy crap did she ever pace...1:22.1 [to three-quarters] and I never spoke to her the rest of the way. I just kept her pacing to the wire....She's a special filly and Jack's believed in her all the way."
The 1:50.4 clocking lowered the Canadian Record for two-year-old pacing fillies of 1:51.2 established by Percy Bluechip at Georgian Downs in 2017.
In the second Gold event, Allstar Maniac was able to grind his way past determined front-runner Sterling Choice to win by a half-length over the latter in 1:49 to establish the fastest mile in Grand River history, just after Control Rocks paced the first sub-1:50 mile in the track's history in the first division.
James MacDonald orchestrated the victory for trainer Nick Gallucci and owner George Millar of Stouffville, ON. The driver said he was pleased to be sitting in the pocket for most of the mile as Sterling Choice (Billy Davis, Jr.) put up fractions of :25.4, :54 and 1:21.3.
“I loved the fractions,” MacDonald said. “I thought it might set up a little bit like that.”
Coming off the final turn, MacDonald said he was confident Allstar Maniac —a son of All Bets Off out of Shes A Maniac — would get past Sterling Choice.
“He was on the right line in the last turn,” MacDonald said. “So, I had to wait until we straightened up. But, when I called on him, he took off again.”
SOS Sports Bet (Doug McNair) was third, followed by Boxer Seelster (Trevor Henry) and Blue Bar (Travis Cullen) in the field of six. Allstar Maniac was the favourite and paid $2.20.
Asked about the sophomore pacing colt division that includes Control Rocks, Pepsi North America Cup finalist Crack Shot, Set Shot and more, MacDonald said, “Tyler [Borth’s] horse was terrific today. I thought Crack Shot was the one to beat in the last division and Tyler just showed how deep the field is. Sterling Choice went a big mile today, too. So, you just never know who is going to step up from day to day.
“I don’t think there was ever any doubt about how great the Ontario Sires Stakes program is. Just look at last year’s NA Cup winner, and you see [star Ontario-sire horses] a lot more nowadays. I think the great horses come from everywhere and a lot of them are coming from Canada.”
Gallucci said his partner Karoline Nielsen picked out Allstar Manic, who was bred by Allstar Farms of Millbank, ON.
“She found him and picked him out,” Gallucci said. “She loved his video and he fit the part when we looked at him at the [London Classic Yearling] sale. We told George we liked him and when George is bidding you’re usually coming home with the horse.”
Millar purchased Allstar Maniac for $70,000. The gelding has now earned $220,784 lifetime with a record of 5-1-4 in 12 starts. The gelding is 3-0-2 in five starts this year with earnings of $81,320.
Monday was Allstar Maniac’s first Gold victory.
“He won the mid-season final last year, but he has never won any of the Gold legs,” Gallucci said. “Hopefully, we’ve got a few more coming.
“He’s a really special horse and he showed a little bit more grit today than what he has in the past. So, I was really happy.”
Tyler Borth piloted Control Rocks to the wire-to-wire victory for owner/trainer Jack Darling of Cambridge, ON in the first division. The gelded son of Control The Moment out of Katie Rocks, sent off at 3-1, defeated a field of five a little over two weeks after setting a career-best 1:49.2 mile at Woodbine Mohawk Park in his last start.
Borth said he wasn’t surprised Control Rocks was a 1:49.4 winner on Monday.
“I feel this track is close to as fast as Mohawk sometimes,” Borth said. “And he’s been pacing in :49 at Mohawk. It doesn’t surprise me that he was able to do it [today].”
Control Rocks paid $8.70 and defeated favourite Crack Shot (Doug McNair) by a head. Docs Buddy (Louis-Philippe Roy), Set Shot (Bob McClure) and Aquinas Hanover (Jody Jamieson) picked up the final cheques in that order.
Darling said Control Rocks has been, “racing really well. He trained super this week and I expected a big effort from him.”
Bred by Ben Mudry of Toronto, Control Rocks was purchased by Darling for $33,000 at the 2023 London Classic Yearling Sale.
“I had his brother [Tom Cruze Control] last year,” Darling said. “He showed me some good speed, but he was lame. He didn’t even race. So, I knew the horse had talent. When I saw the brother, I fell in love with him just from his looks.”
Control Rocks raced just once as a two-year-old. Darling said the pacer was sick last year and it ended up costing Control Rocks the entire season of racing. His career record now stands at 5-3-1 in 12 starts, with earnings of $139,870.
“The nice thing is he was never hurt [last year],” said Darling.
Handle for the 11-race card was $492,416.
To view Monday's harness racing results, click the following link: Monday Results - Grand River Raceway.
(With files from Grand River Raceway / Ontario Sire Stakes)