Ontario's top two and three-year-olds invaded Mohawk Racetrack on Saturday night for their Ontario Sires Stakes season-ending Super Finals.
The $1.6 million Championship Night kicked off with Riveting Rosie delivering on her 1-5 pari-mutuel promise in the $200,000 Super Final for two-year-old trotting fillies.
Fresh off a victory in the Peaceful Way Stakes, Riveting Rosie and driver Paul MacDonell hustled off the gate from post seven and cruised through fractions of :28.1, :58.4, and 1:28.1 en route to the 1:56 victory. Miss Aultsville (Jack Moiseyev) followed two and a half lengths behind off a two-hole trip while Luck Is All Ineed (Doug McNair) came on for third.
"I thought the best spot for her to be was on the front and then she could control the pace," said winning trainer John Bax after the race. "Paul did it again so everything went the way it was supposed to."
While Riveting Rosie made the victory look easy, Bax noted that he doesn't take her talent for granted. "It always looks tough to me, I get nervous," he said.
The Muscle Mass-Rose De Vie Stena filly closed out her 2013 campaign with six wins, one second and one third in eight starts and earnings of $468,613 for Ontario owners Parkhill Stud Farm of Peterborough, Don Allensen of Wyoming, J And T Stable of Newmarket, and John Hayes of Sharon.
“She’s just so dominant, she’s big, she’s strong, I think we haven’t seen the best of her yet," said MacDonell. "I think next year when she grows up and fills out she’ll be something else. There’s no effort to her gait, she’s smooth, and got a nice mouth on her; she’s got all the attributes to a good one.”
Sovereign and Eclipse Award-winning thoroughbred jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson made a special appearance at Mohawk on Saturday night for a Racing Under Saddle event and rode former Ontario Sires Stakes competitor Ill Be There to victory lane in a non-wagering cross-breed promotional event contested following the first Super Final.
Four-year-old trotting gelding Ill Be There and Wilson lined up behind the gate in post two, and when the wings folded, they took off to lead the field of nine from start to finish over the pocket-pulling Harlequin and Riina Rekila. Charlie Tuna and Britt Kennedy finished third.
The race fractions were :29.2, :1:01.4 and 1:33 with the mile time clocked in 2:02.2.
“It’s an absolute pleasure to be here," said Wilson after being presented with a bouquet of carrots in the winner's circle. "It's good to see all the fans out here. It is an exhibition race and we're here to show all the fans what kind of good fun this can be. Hopefully, RUS Ontario can be a permanent part of horse racing in Ontario."
Acton, Ont. trainer Anthony Montini conditions the winning son of Kadabra, who is owned by his wife Albina.
Superstar trotting filly Bee A Magician continued her magical sophomore campaign earning her second Super Final victory with a 1:52.2 winning effort.
Driver Rick Zeron settled the overwhelming 1-9 favourite away fourth from post six while Charmed Life (Paul MacDonell) fired to the front with Motown Muscle (Jody Jamieson) charging by past the :27-second opening quarter mark.
Bee A Magician began to roll down the backstretch and edged by the leading Motown Muscle, eventually clearing well past the :55.1 half-mile mark.
She reached three-quarters in 1:23.2 and began to open up on the field down the stretch to secure the 1:52.2 triumph. Anaffairtoremember (Jack Moiseyev) closed for second and Charmed Life finished third.
"They made me work for it tonight," commented Zeron in the winner's circle. "Jody really stretched her out going around the last turn. I looked over there at the three-quarters in 1:23 and a piece and I said well now we'll see what the big girl is made of and she just kept right on going. There was nothing that was going to stop her."
Bee A Magician has been perfect since winning last year's Super Final on Nov. 10, 2012 at Woodbine Racetrack. She's won all 13 starts during her million-dollar sophomore campaign, including two Gold Series legs and the Mid-Summer Challenge. She's also faced North America's top fillies, setting a world record in the Delvin Miller Memorial and winning the Hambletonian Oaks and Elegantimage Stakes, among others.
"She's the best three-year-old trotting filly in the world. Period," stated Zeron.
The Kadabra-Beehive filly is trained by Richard 'Nifty' Norman for owners Melvin Hartman of Ottawa, Ont. and Florida's Herb Liverman and David McDuffee.
“She’s all business. She gets on the track, she just wants to go, and she wants to do it. She’s a dream,” said Hartman.
“I will challenge anyone that Kadabra is as good, if not the best stallion in the world,” he continued. “He has thrown some tremendous horses. They’ve raced in Ontario and they’ve gone on to race in North America, and it’s great for the Sires Stakes program.”
Driver Paul MacDonell returned to the Super Final spotlight winning with three-year-old pacing filly Regil Elektra.
Racey Miss (Chris Christoforou), divisional leader Pan Luis Obispo (Randy Waples) and Request For Parole (Rick Zeron) traded turns on the lead through opening fractions of :26.2 and :54.2. Request For Parole pressed on to three-quarters in 1:22.1 with Jan It Jackson (Sylvain Filon), favourite Love Canal (Doug McNair) and Regil Elektra in the outer flow. But Regil Elektra set sail down the lane and out-sprinted Love Canal to prevail in a career-best 1:50.4. Best Impressions (Billy Davis Jr.) finished third.
"I had some horse left [at the three-quarters] and Love Canal looked like she was working a bit harder on the turns tonight," said MacDonell from the winner's circle. "Ricky was in front with Request For Parole and she looked like she was starting to tire a bit so I felt good at that point."
Unraced as a freshman, Regil Elektra earned her 11th win in 25 starts and now boasts a bankroll of $231,587 for trainer Shawn Robinson and Florida owner Fred Monteleone Stable LLC.
Sent postward as the 6-1 fourth choice in the wagering, Regil Elektra paid $14.20 to win.
Muscle Matters went wire-to-wire to collect the Super Final trophy for two-year-old trotting colts and geldings.
Leaving from post nine after a recall, driver Mario Baillargeon put his brother Ben's trainee on the front and carved out panels of :27.2, :57.4 and 1:27 en route to the career-best 1:55.4 three length victory. The 5-2 second choice paid $7.70 to win. Massive Muscles (Jean Bernard Renaud) and Valorscross (Keith Oliver) came on for second and third.
The Muscle Mass-Sister Mary Lindy colt is owned by his Rockwood, Ont. conditioner along with Ontario-based partners Nunzio Vena of Bolton, Santo Vena of Brampton and Richard Thompson of London.
"My son [Johnny] just got engaged today so this is sweet, icing on the cake," said Santo Vena among family and friends in the winner's circle. "It’s perfect, a perfect day."
Muscle Matters is now three-for-six in his career. He's earned the bulk of his $218,800 bankroll with wins in the Mid-Summer Challenge and tonight's Super Final.
Heavy 3-5 favourite Flanagan Memory topped the three-year-old trotting colts and geldings as he romped to a career-best 1:53 victory in the following Super Final.
With regular reinsman Chris Christoforou aboard, the Kadabra-Classy Stacy colt took command of the field from post seven and never looked back as he cruised through panels of :27.1, :57 and 1:25 en route to victory lane. Launching a late charge in the stretch, Creampuff Macdaddy (Randy Waples) came within one length of the winner to earn runner-up honours while Thankyoukessel (Mike Saftic) finished third.
"He's very versatile, but I didn't want to have any traffic problems tonight so I just let him roll on out of there," said Christoforou, adding that it is "his heart" that makes Flanagan Memory the champion that he is. "He's got great determination."
Flanagan Memory now boasts seven wins, two seconds and one third-place finish in 11 seasonal starts. His major wins include the Goodtimes Trot, Super Final and Mid-Summer Challenge, which helped propel his sophomore earnings over the $400,000 mark.
Trainer Rene Dion co-owns Flanagan Memory with Liette Flanagan of Repentigny, Que. Flanagan's late father Michel bred the colt.
Even-money favourite Bugger Bruiser earned a hard-fought Super Final victory in the two-year-old pacing colt and gelding division.
Driver Anthony MacDonald fired Bugger Bruiser off the gate from post five and won an early duel with post nine starter Three Of Clubs (Doug McNair) through a wicked :25.4 quarter. Bugger Bruiser pressed on down the backstretch with his early challenger dropping into the pocket and reached the half in :54.4.
At the mid-way mark, Crafty Master (Jody Jamieson) began a first over attack from fourth and moved up alongside the leader past the 1:23 third quarter station. The top two battled down the homestretch with the streaking Bugger Bruiser reaching the wire just in time for the 1:50.3 triumph, equalling his lifetime mark. Crafty Master finished a neck back in second with Three Of Clubs and Cluster Hanover (Paul MacDonell) closing fast on the outside to make it a four-across finish.
Carmen Auciello trains the Believeinbruiser-How Is Carrie gelding for his father Rocco Auciello of Stouffville, Ont. and the Denarben Stables of Thornhill, Ont. Bugger Bruiser's fourth win in a row boosted his bankroll to $226,730. He now sports a five-for-11 career record.
“Nobody expected this,” said trainer Auciello. “The horse has a heart bigger than this trophy here, and that’s a big trophy, the biggest one I’ve ever got in this business anyway. I’m just happy, I’ve got my family here, there’s tons of us here, and it’s just a thrill. I’ve been waiting for this my whole life.”
Performing Art emerged from the cloud of fog that had rolled in for the two-year-old pacing filly Super Final and posted a 13-1 upset.
Leaving from post six, driver Billy Davis Jr. put the Otis Hall trainee on the lead through a :26-second opening quarter with Regil Meg (Jonathan Drury) driving on from post nine to clear into the backstretch. Performing Art moved back out for the retake and carved out middle splits of :55.1 and 1:23.3 with divisional leader Lady Shadow (Rick Zeron) advancing first over.
The fillies disappeared into the fog around the final turn, but Performing Art was still the leader when they emerged in front of the grandstand. She held off Lady Shadow for the narrow victory in a new lifetime mark of 1:52 flat. Favourite Sudoku (Doug McNair) finished third.
The winning time equalled the two-year-old pacing filly stakes record on a mile track, which was set by Chancey Lady in the 2007 Super Finals at Woodbine.
The Shadow Play-Artacam Hanover filly is owned by Sauble Hill Farms of Tara, Ont. and Nasussito Racing Inc. of Ayr, Ont. The win was her second in nine starts and more than doubled her bankroll to $190,350.
Performing Art returned $29.50 to her backers for the upset victory.
Duc Dorleans closed out Super Final Night with a pocket-pulling victory in the three-year-old pacing colt and gelding event.
Fresh off a track record victory at Hippodrome 3R, Duc Dorleans and driver Sylvain Filion settled into the two-hole behind Windsong Jack (Doug McNair) and played a game of 'follow-the-leader' through fractions of :26, :54.3 and 1:21.3. Filion then pulled the 5-1 second choice from the pocket through the fog and Duc Dorleans got up in the stretch to score his first sub-1:50 victory in 1:49.2 over the closing Tarpon Hanover (Jody Jamieson) and Brocks Fortune (Randy Waples). Windsong Jack settled for fourth.
"We got a perfect two-hole trip and everything worked out in our favour," said Filion after the race.
Jacques Dupont trains the homebred Shanghai Phil-Legende Dorleans gelding for Les Ecuries Dorleans Inc. of Repentigny, Que. and Gestion C. Levesque 2005 Inc. of Saint-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Que.
Duc Dorleans has won four of his 14 sophomore starts while earning $184,705 in purses.
"He's been racing real good his last few starts, just maybe not as good as tonight," said Filion. "Tonight he was quite a monster."
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Mohawk Racetrack.
(With quotes from OSS)