While Warrawee Vicky padded her place on the leaderboard, Massive Flirt put on a show of force in the second of two Ontario Sires Stakes Gold divisions for three-year-old trotting fillies, setting a track and stakes record at Flamboro Downs on Sunday (Sept. 27).
Massive Flirt and driver Jody Jamieson were sent as the favourites from post 2. The duo got away second behind Trina, watched GP Dreamin and Wine Rack Hanover go off-stride in the outer lane and then snuck up the inside to take the lead when Trina veered out wide coming out of the first turn. From there Massive Flirt posted a :28.4 quarter, :58.1 half, 1:27.3 three-quarters and powered home to a three-and-one-half length victory in a track record 1:55.4. Magic Cape finished second and Modern Mass completed the top three in the mile, which also equalled the Ontario Sires Stakes record for three-year-old trotting fillies on a half-mile track.
“Pretty cool to have a track record and the filly was simply the best tonight,” said Moffat, ON resident Jamieson. “She’s been a hard hitter this year but, fingers crossed, she’s got it down pat now.”
Trainer Jeff Gillis of Hillsburgh and Mac Nichol of Burlington, ON bred and own Massive Flirt, who was also a winner in the July 26 Gold leg at Rideau Carleton Raceway. With two wins, one fourth and one fifth the Muscle Mass daughter currently sits second in the division standings with 113 points.
Trainer Scott McEneny had Sunday’s three-year-old trotting filly Gold Leg at Flamboro Downs circled on his calendar as soon as the Ontario Sires Stakes schedule was published.
Starting from Post 5 and with the rail horse scratched, his filly Warrawee Vicky fired off the starting gate to a :29 quarter. Through a :59.1 half and a 1:28.4 three-quarters, the favourite and driver Doug McNair never saw a challenger. The pair cruised home one-and-three-quarter length winners in 1:57. Susies Lady finished second and She Rocks Kemp was six lengths back in third.
“She is very handy on a half. I was kind of glad they had one here, because she won two of them last year, Grand River and here. I wish they had the Super Finals on the half,” said trainer Scott McEneny with a laugh. “She is very handy”
The win was the Royalty For Life daughter’s third in Gold Series action this season, she was also victorious in the July 2 season opener and the July 26 event at Rideau Carleton Raceway. In addition to her Gold Series engagements, Warrawee Vicky has also battled North America’s best in open stake action at Woodbine Mohawk Park in recent weeks, finishing fifth in her Aug. 28 Casual Breeze division, winning her Sept. 11 Simcoe Stakes division in a personal best 1:54 and finishing well out of the money in the Sept. 19 Elegantimage Stake.
“She won two weeks ago in the Simcoe and then last week she was in with Ramona Hill and that, it was way too tough and she got roughed up the first half, got a little tired,” said Puslinch, ON resident McEneny. “So we just kind of worked on her all week, looking forward to this race, and she did it pretty handy.”
Brad Grant of Milton, ON owns Warrawee Vicky, who boosted her lifetime earnings to $375,048 with Sunday’s win and moved well out in front of her peers in the three-year-old trotting filly standings with 175 points. The top 10 point earners advance to the Oct. 17 Super Finals, which will actually take place at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
The three-year-old trotting fillies will wrap up their Gold Series regular season at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Tuesday, Oct. 6.
Odds-on favourite Awesomeness wrapped the card with a victory in the $8,500 Preferred 3 Pace. The seven-year-old Mach Three gelding cleared command past the quarter, endured a first-over challenge from Wind Blown to three-quarters, then scooted to a two-length victory in 1:53.1. Jeff Gillis trains the $2.70 winner for owner Mark Ford.
(with files from Ontario Sires Stakes)
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Flamboro Downs.