The first crop of trotting sire Manofmanymissions is making a great deal of noise in the Ontario Sires Stakes this season, and all you had to do was tune in to Tuesday’s card of racing at Georgian Downs if you needed proof.
The Breeders Crown-winning sire celebrated an OSS hat trick at the Innisfil, ON thanks to wins by his sons – Money Mission, Thee Desperado and Manofmanyimages.
Money Mission rallied to win his $18,000 Grassroots assignment in 1:59.2 in maiden-breaking fashion for driver Mike Saftic. Sent off at odds of 6-1, the Rick Zeron pupil fired home in :29.3 after making a late, first-over bid to win by a half-length margin over the previously undefeated Georgies Pockets. Taking home third prize was Cool Creek Victory.
The $31,000 purchase from last year’s Harrisburg Yearling Sale now boasts a 1-1-0 record in four starts for the partnership of the Rick Zeron Stables, Cool Cat Racing Inc and Paul Marion. The rookie out of the mare Kimberly Coe has stashed away more than $14,000 to date.
Thee Desperado got off to a slow start in his assignment and suffered interference late in the mile, but it didn’t stop him from posting his second win in as many tries for trainer Brent Belore. With the Hall of Fame hands of Steven Condren at the controls, the gelding out of Front Porch Swing rallied from sixth to first in the final half of the contest. His :29.3 closing quarter earned him the win by a neck over JLS Bad Moon Risn in 2:00.2. Windsun Missile rounded out the Triactor ticket.
Sent off as the odds-on favourite, the career winner of $18,000 surpassed his purchase price of $15,000 from last year’s Forest City Yearling Sale for owners Karen MacIntyre, Daniel MacIntyre, Joshua McKibbin and Nancy Newport.
Manofmanyimages was Manofmanymissions final winner, and he did so in gate-to-wire fashion for the duo of driver Steve Byron and trainer John Bax. Out of the mare Spicey Image, the lightly-raced youngster fired to the top and threw down fractions of :30.1, 1:01 and 1:30.4 before sealing the deal by two lengths over Dynamic Edge in 2:00.4. Taking home third prize was Cooper.
The $70,000 purchase from the 2014 Harrisburg Yearling Sale is owned by Richard Gutnick, T L P Stable and Joseph Lozito, Jr. The partners shelled out $70,000 to purchase the trotter from last year’s Harrisburg Yearling Sale.
Muscle Time, a homebred out of the mare Spare Time Rozie, won for the second time in six tries thanks to his 2:00.1 triumph for owner/trainer/breeder/driver Darryl Laver of Petrolia, ON. He put the productive lass on the lead early and she cruised through fractions of :28.4, :59.2 and 1:28.4 before finishing off her foes with a final quarter clocked in :31.2. She celebrated the 2:00.1 decision over United Bi and Defi Normand.
The win puts her career record to 2-1-2 from six starts. It helped hoist her lifetime earnings in excess of $23,000.
Willyorwonthe, a homebred son of Angus Hall-Mikestory, was a front-stepping winner in a clocking of 1:58.4 in his division for driver Mike Saftic. He got away second with the gelding before moving him to the lead in the second quarter. He whacked out panels of :59.3 and 1:29.2 before using a :29.2 kicker to win by 4-1/2 lengths over the dead-heating tandem of Rose Run Rudi and Grego.
Sent off as the 1-2 favourite, Willyorwonthe posted his third win in five attempts for breeder/owner/trainer Bill Megens of Puslinch, ON. The lion’s share of Tuesday’s loot lifted his earnings past $30,000.
Wildwild Men got off to a horrible start in last week’s OSS assignment at Mohawk Racetrack and as a result he was forced to take home a fifth-place cheque, but he rebounded for a sharp-looking victory in the final OSS Grassroots division. Robert Shepherd hustled him to the top from Post 6 and after slicing out splits of :30, 1:01.2 and 1:31.3 he stormed home in a :29-second clip to win by five lengths over Magic Missions and Sass in 2:00.3.
The son of Muscle Mass-Seeyouinthecircle improved his record to 2-1-0 from five starts with the win. Catheline Pelletier and Chantal Gravel of Quebec share ownership on the homebred who increased her cash stash to $23,400 with the win.
To view results for Tuesday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Tuesday Results – Georgian Downs.