Jet Airway’s Ontario Sires Stakes record for the year is now a perfect four-for-four following a 1:50.1 tally in the first of two $105,000 Gold Series tests for three-year-old colt and gelding pacers on Friday night (September 26) at Mohawk Racetrack. Three Of Clubs was the winner of the other division.
With Randy Waples at the lines, Jet Airway worked out a second-over trip behind Speckled Door (Doug McNair) as he attacked leader Play It Again Sam (Jody Jamieson) on the way to the 1:21.4 three-quarters. Waples tipped Jet Airway three-wide for the stretch drive after the covered-up trip and Jet Airway paced around the battling leaders on his way to a one and three-quarter length victory. Play It Again Sam held second with Boomboom Ballykeel (Sylvain Filion) up for third.
Jet Airway, a Jeremes Jet colt, is trained by Tony Alagna for owners Ervin Miller Stable Inc. of Wind Gap, Pennsylvania, Tangie Massey of Debary, Florida, Paul Sunderhaus of Celina, Ohio, and Larry Agle of Hiram, Ohio. Jet Airway posted his seventh victory from 15 trips behind the gate this year and he now has 10 career triumphs. He has pocketed $278,947 in 2014 and $341,446 in his life. Jet Airway’s family includes half-sister Angel Scent, a winner of over $341,446 in her career.
Jet Airway has also enjoyed some success against Grand Circuit company this season, finishing third in a division of the Simcoe Stakes and fifth in the prestigious Meadowlands Pace.
In stark contrast to Jet Airway, Three Of Clubs (Doug McNair) came into the second Gold Series contest without a victory since a Gold event last September at Grand River Raceway. Moving back into OSS competition after finishing fifth in a Little Brown Jug elimination last Thursday, Three Of Clubs went to the point and he chopped out fractions of :26.2, :54.4, and 1:23.2.
Through the stretch, Three Of Clubs was able to keep first-over challenger Silverhill Shadow (Chris Christoforou) at bay, and with pocket-sitter Victor Bayama (Sylvain Filion) locked up, Three Of Clubs was able to get to the wire just over a length to the good in 1:51.2, which now stands as his lifetime mark. The trapped-in Victor Bayama was the runner-up and Silverhill Shadow wound up third.
Trainer Gregg McNair of Guelph, Ont. alsoo co-owns Three Of Clubs, a colt by Mach Three, with Hall of Famer Keith Waples of Durham, Ont. and Tony Lawrence of Hanover, Ont. Three Of Clubs got his first win from 11 efforts this year and he now has five career victories. He has earned $130,480 on the campaign and $337,097 lifetime.
This was the final event of the regular season for the three-year-old male pacers of the OSS Gold Series. They will be back to compete in their Super Final event on October 11 at Mohawk.
Friday's undercard featured the return of Milton Stakes champion Voelz Hanover, who won the $30,000 Fillies & Mares Preferred Pace in 1:50.3 for Waples, trainer Corey Johnson and owner Richard Berthiaume of Pointe-Aux-Trembles, Que. She defeated favourite American In Paris (Chris Christoforou) by two lengths, with Lights Go Out (Phil Hudon) edging out Bullet Point (Jody Jamieson) in a photo for show.
American In Paris hustled off the gate to lead through a :27.1 opening quarter with Nat A Virgin (Dustin Jones) charging up to pass her in the backstretch. However, American In Paris retook the lead by the half-mile mark, which was clocked in :55.1. Once she cleared, Voelz Hanover swept up to challenge and edged by as they raced past three-quarters in 1:23.1. American In Paris tried to battle back down the lane, but Voelz Hanover opened up a pair of lengths to secure the victory.
The nine-year-old mare by Astreos out of Vassar Hanover is an OSS graduate, who has won 44 races and over $1.75 million in purses throughout her career.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Mohawk Racetrack.
(With files from OSS)