Pulling first over by the half and clearing control into the backstretch, 4-5 favourite Bronx Seelster fought a late first-over bid from Bettors Wish to win the $262,315 Battle Of Waterloo in 1:53.1 at Grand River Raceway on Monday, Aug. 6.
Wager On Me moved to the front and led the field briefly heading to the opening quarter. Twin B Watching charged towards the leader and stuck a nose in front through a :27.1 opening fraction. Bronx Seelster, sitting fourth, pulled first over heading to the half and supplied cover to Bettors Wish through a :55.3 clocking.
Bronx Seelster barreled to the lead moving into the backstretch. Bettors Wish chased alongside while Twin B Watching faltered towards the rail and Sports Teen gradually reeled in the dueling leaders from second over. Stride for stride past three-quarters in 1:24.1, Bettors Wish took a narrow lead on Bronx Seelster heading into the stretch but Bronx Seelster veered towards the inside and reclaimed command heading to the wire. Bettors Wish settled for second from Sports Teen in third.
“I wanted to let Paul [MacDonell on Bettors Wish] in front of me,” driver Trevor Henry said after the race, “but he [Bronx Seelster] was grabby and I couldn’t take him back enough to get Paul in front of me; that’s where I wanted to be. I had to come first up and he did all the work.”
Owned by Capers 3 Stable, Bronx Seelster, a colt by Big Jim from the Bettors Delight mare Tarport Baccarat, won his fourth race in six starts this season, earning $225,158. The Wayne McGean trainee returned $3.70 to win.
“He was tough today, that’s all it is,” Henry also said. “It had nothing to do with me. Halfway through the last turn he was beat, so I figured we were going to be second. Then when we came off the turn we came wheel to wheel and he just dug in.”
“He always showed some go,” McGean said. “The way I looked at it, [post nine] is better than the eight and, when Trevor [Henry] pulled him first over heading to the half I thought ‘Oh, this will be hard,’ but he just dug in. Around that last turn like Trevor said it looked like he was beat and he just come right back up.”
Securing the top, 7-5 favourite Quebec Blue Chip withstood first-over pressure from 2-1 second-choice Powerful Chris to win the $163,840 Battle of the Belles Final in 1:55.1.
Shesonehotwriter broke from the rail and Kylie Seelster lost stride from post two before quickly getting back on gait, leaving Quebec Blue Chip, from post three, to grab the lead moving into the first turn. Ideation Hanover sat the pocket with Village Joules getting away third from the second tier through a :28 opening quarter. Powerful Chris, leaving from post 8, got away fourth before committing first over heading into the second turn. Kylie Seelster tracked her cover passing the half in :57.2.
Powerful Chris remained alongside Quebec Blue Chip moving into the backstretch final time. Through three-quarters in 1:26.2, Powerful Chris began to fade first over, forcing Kylie Seelster three wide while Quebec Blue Chip gained separation into the stretch. Ideation Hanover angled out of the pocket in pursuit of her stable mate but finished second while Village Joules rode the rail for third.
Owned by Menary Racing Inc., Michael Guerriero, Kenneth Ewen and Bruce Norris, Quebec Blue Chip, by Sportswriter from the Bettors Delight mare Hazes Zure Bet, won her third race in five starts, compiling $118,888 in earnings. Dave Menary conditions the $4.80 winner and Jody Jamieson drove.
“With this filly it was just easy to fall off the gate,” Jamieson said after the race. “It was unfortunate the one [Shesonehotwriter] and the two [Kylie Seelster] broke stride but it just opened the door for us—more so than we thought it already was.”
“We got [our horses] ready for half-mile tracks,” Menary said, “and today we took advantage of it.”
“We are [ecstatic],” Norris said. “Of course we had Tarpon [Hanover, winner of the 2012 Battle of Waterloo] and we still hold the record. We’re just thrilled; just to be in the race, nevermind winning it. It’s taken thirty years.”
Neon Moon moved to the front early and progressed to a track-record mile in the $18,800 first division of OSS Grassroots, winning by open lengths in 1:52.4.
Shadow World parked Neon Moon heading to the quarter, prompting a :26.4 opening split as Neon Moon worked for the lead. Askmysecretary sat third while Oxford Comma gapped several lengths before the field condensed towards the half.
Through a :55.4 half, Neon Moon continued under no pressure on the lead. Shadow World gave chase with Hello Love, moving first over heading to the half, taking third by three-quarters in 1:24.1. Neon Moon cruised into the stretch with Hello Love taking second and Shadow World holding onto third from Askmysecretary rallying late for fourth.
A daughter of Sportswriter from the Somebeachsomewhere mare Beach Of A Time, Neon Moon won her third race in eight starts this season and her eighth in 17 overall, surpassing $100,000 in career earnings. John Darling trains the $2.50 winner for Jack Darling Stables Ltd. and Jody Jamieson drove.
Driver Louis-Philippe Roy fired 3-5 favourite Katniss S Bg from post 8 and managed to ride a pocket trip before pouncing on pacesetter Falls Creek to narrowly win the second OSS Grassroots division in 1:55.4.
The Richard Moreau-trained daughter of Mach Three pushed for a top spot while Falls Creek, leaving from the rail, protected position around the turn and paced to the first quarter in :27.2. Princess Abie W, positioned fifth, pulled first over into the stretch first time with Startistic Wonder tracking second over through a :58.2 half.
Startistic Wonder lost stride moving towards the backstretch, leaving Falls Creek to contend with Princess Abie W first over and Katniss S Bg from the pocket. Those three remained tightly bunched while Enchanted Eva weaved through competition into fourth by three-quarters in 1:27.1. With Princess Abie W losing ground around the final turn, room opened for Katniss S Bg to tip off the rail and surge past Falls Creek in the stretch ahead of Princess Abie W holding third from Enchanted Eva.
Owned by Sylvain Descheneaux and Gaston Bibeau, Katniss S Bg, from the Dragon Again mare Sand Gesture, won her fourth race in 10 starts this season and her sixth in 15 overall, earning $75,750. She paid $3.30 to win.
Lifelong Dream pressed tempo-setter Cardiff on the lead and slid to the front in progress to 13-1 upset in the third OSS Grassroots division, holding on to win in 1:54.1.
Shooting to the top from post eight, Cardiff controlled the pace through a :27.1 opening quarter with Iveseenthefuture sitting second and Sharks Summrshandy in third. Lifelong Dream, sitting fifth, moved first over heading to the half tracked by Machnhope in a :57 clocking.
Cardiff maintained a slight advantage on Lifelong Dream into the backstretch. Lifelong Dream gradually gained ground to the outside of the leader before taking a narrow lead by three-quarters in 1:25.2. Machnhope overtook second as Cardiff retreated at the rail and surged towards Lifelong Dream approaching the wire, finishing a nose behind while Sharks Summrshandy took the next spot in third.
Winning her second race in 14 starts this season and her fourth in 24 overall, Lifelong Dream, a filly by Rambaran from the Camluck mare Twin B Daytona, has earned $45,357. Dean Nixon conditions for owner Greg Merlo and Bob McClure sat behind the $29.70 winner.
Tipping first over from sixth past the quarter, Cabowabocuttie ground towards the top and powered to the lead into the stretch to win the fourth OSS division in 1:56.2.
Sunday Afternoon set the pace with I Shadow U sitting the pocket through a :28.1 opening quarter. Driver Trevor Henry edged the Gerald Lilley trainee first over rounding the turn and paced to within two lengths of the lead by the half in :57.3.
Cabowabocuttie continued to advance uncovered and matched strides with Sunday Afternoon at three-quarters in 1:27.1 prior to taking a slim lead into the stretch. Sunday Afternoon fought to hold onto second from I Shadow U moving through the passing lane for third.
Returning $33.60 to win, Cabowabocuttie, by Big Jim from the Artiscape mare Matilda, won her second race in 15 starts this season and in 18 overall, earning $45,836 for owner Bill Manes.
Keystone Concrete parked briefly around the first turn before clearing control and holding the top through the wire to win the $15,000 Diane Tawsnick Memorial Pace in 1:54.
Taking the lead heading to the quarter, Keystone Concrete led the field in :27.3 with Keystone Prestige sitting the pocket and Century Fury in third. Sports Hero, positioned fourth, moved first over heading to the half with Jms Delight rough-gaited and to his outside three wide through a :57.2 clocking.
Sports Hero advanced towards Keystone Concrete heading to three-quarters while Carlisimo, trailing the field throughout, charged three wide from the rear to within two lengths of the lead by the third-quarter in 1:25. Keystone Concrete continued on the lead in the stretch while Keystone Prestige moved into the passing lane to chase in second with Sports Hero to his outside third.
Owned by N. Yolanda Fellows, Arpad Szabo and Blair Corbeil, Keystone Concrete, a colt by Bettors Delight from the Shady Character mare Keystone Caitlyn, is undefeated in three starts career and has collected $26,000 in earnings. Rick Zeron piloted the Robert Don Fellows trainee who paid $3.50 to win.
Sitting a pocket trip, Boomboom Ballykeel bested pacesetter Champagne Phil to win the $15,000 Horses and Geldings Preferred 2 Pace in 1:54.
Champagne Phil held the front from Boomboom Ballykeel in the pocket. Through a :27 opening quarter, Champagne Phil continued unchallenged on the front. Sports Column, from seventh, tipped first over heading to the half with Single White Sock drafting second over through a :55.4 clocking.
Sports Column dug into Champagne Phil in the backstretch while Boomboom Ballykeel sat steady in third. By three-quarters in 1:24.3, Champagne Phil turned away Sports Column while Single White Sock fanned three wide and Boomboom Ballykeel waited for the passing lane. Boomboom Ballykeel shot through the open stretch to nail Champagne Phil on the line while Single White Sock finished ahead of a wall of horses for third.
Owned by Ballykeel Racing, Boomboom Ballykeel, a seven-year-old stallion by Mach Three from the Presidential Ball mare Teig N Riley, won his fourth race in 24 starts this season and his 33rd in 170 overall, earning $890,951. Louis-Philippe Roy steered the $5.60 winner for trainer Richard Moreau.
Cousin Mary stalked a swift pace and swept to the top around the final turn, holding on in the final strides to win the $12,500 Fillies and Mares Preferred 2 Pace in a track-record 1:53.
Buttermilk Hanover took the lead from Southwind Ion rounding the first turn while 3-5 favourite The Joy Luck Club floated towards the back of the pack. The Joy Luck Club quickly rushed uncovered heading through a :27.1 opening quarter to try and clear command heading to the half. Buttermilk Hanover parked the favourite while Southwind Ion sat third in the pocket and Cousin Mary began to advance on the outside through a :55 half.
Southwind Ion angled from the pocket as The Joy Luck Club took control into the backstretch. Stalled to the outside, Southwind Ion forced Cousin Mary to move three wide heading to three-quarters while Buttermilk Hanover tracked in the pocket in 1:23.2. Cousin Mary powered the to the lead into the stretch as Buttermilk Hanover edged off the rail to the center of the track attempting to slingshot to the lead but came a nose shy at the wire. Casino Classic, from off the pace, closed for third while The Joy Luck Club faded to fourth.
A five-year-old mare by Camluck from the Modern Art mare Chianti Seelster, Cousin Mary, owned by Jeffrey Williamson, won her fourth race in 16 starts this season and her 21st in 65 overall, earning $267,286. Trevor Henry drove the Allan Shelton trainee and she paid $18.40 to win.
Sing Like An Angel wired her rivals in the $10,000 Fillies and Mares Preferred 3 Pace in 1:54.4.
Driver Travis Cullen sent Sing Like An Angel for the top with Eataamup Cassandra following to her outside and Whistys Paradise her inside. Sing Like An Angel led through a :27.3 opening quarter while Big Lis, positioned sixth, committed first over heading around the turn.
Whistys Paradise flushed first over in pursuit of Sing Like An Angel who paced to the half in :57. She continued alongside the pacesetter heading to three-quarters while Eataamup Cassandra was locked at the rail and Big Lis paced second over to the inside of Ok Jasmine closing three wide from the back. Sing Like An Angel tripped three-quarters in 1:25.3 and kicked clear of Whistys Paradise chasing in second and Big Lis in third.
Winning for the first time in 11 starts this season and for the 49th time in 167 outings, Sing Like An Angel, an eight-year-old mare by Bettors Delight from the Artsplace mare Place At The Table, paid $9.40 to win. Jodie Cullen owns and trains the earner of $340,246.
Photos and videos from Industry Day:
• Photo Gallery from Industry Day
• Video: Young Gunz Race
• Video: Bouncy Pony Stakes Race
To view Monday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Monday Results - Grand River Raceway.
I question why is there no
I question why is there no consolation race / condition to the Battle Of Waterloo as we paid a fairly heavy entry fee to enter; nine horses raced for most of the money .