Trainer-driver J. F. Gagne spun his eight-year-old Camluck mare Watch My Luck three wide into the final turn and landed on the finish line first in the $10,500 Fillies & Mares Preferred 2 Pace at Flamboro Downs on Tuesday (Sept. 15).
So Frisky, the 9-5 favourite, led the field to a :27.2 first quarter before Casimir Swamp Girl popped pocket and circled to the lead. Landry Seelster soon tipped first over from fifth moving to a :56.4 half with Watch My Luck riding cover second over.
Casimir Swamp Girl’s lead diminished moving to three-quarters in 1:25.3 as Landry Seelster drew within a neck of command and Gagne swung his mare off cover. Watch My Luck slid by Landry Seelster, as she tired between horses, to pressure Casimir Swamp Girl into the stretch, where she edged a head in front of the pacesetter to win. YS Tallia closed for third.
Co-owned by Gagne with Peter Van Seggelen and Carl Warnaar, Watch My Luck won her fourth race from 20 starts this season and her 26th from 101 overall, earning $256,988. She paid $8.00 to win.
I Wish You Well vaulted from the pocket to best odds-on favourite Larjon Legacy in the co-featured $8,500 Fillies and Mares Preferred 3 Pace.
Larjon Legacy led the field from the pylon post by the quarter in :28, and faced little challenge as Lively Rocket raced parked first over in the middle of the pack by a :57 half. The 3-5 choice took the field by three-quarters in 1:25.3 but could not withstand the fresh legs of I Wish You Well, who darted from second to win by a neck in 1:54.2. Tilikum finished third.
A six-year-old mare by Well Said, I Wish You Well won her fourth race from 19 starts this season and her 17th from 92 overall, earning $246,544. Anita Ouellette trains the $13.20 winner for owners Luc Ouellette Incorporated and Alan Alber. Travis Henry sat in the sulky.
Lil Red Sportsstar went wire to wire in the first of two $7,100 divisions for the Prospect Series Two-Year-Old Colt Pace held earlier on the card. The Sportswriter gelding led through fractions of :28.4, :59 and 1:28.2 in progress to a 1:57.3 victory by three-quarter lengths over Smilingbillythekid and 6-5 favourite Fiscal Policy. Blake MacIntosh trains the $9.60 winner for owners Dan and Kim Sergeant.
Kodiak Seelster sped to a 1:59.2 victory in the other division for owner-trainer-driver Chris Matthews. The 7-5 favourite led through early splits of :29.1 and 1:00.2 before facing first-over pressure from Frank Deford moving to three-quartesr in 1:29.4. Kodiak Seelster kept his challenger parked into the final turn and strode to victory over Sports Zipper, rallying from second over to finish second by one-and-a-quarter lengths, with pocket-sitter Favaro Seelster third. The Sunshine Beach colt—co-owned by Desmond Scott, Jeff Bryan and Todd Williams—paid $4.60 to win.
To view Tuesday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Tuesday Results - Flamboro Downs.