Skippin By scooted home to a five length victory in the final $150,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Series event of the regular season for three-year-old pacing fillies on Sunday night at Flamboro Downs.
Jakardez (Trevor Henry) left well from post seven and overtook Performing Art (Billy Davis Jr.) into the backstretch with the parked out Alibi Seelster (Jody Jamieson) driving on to clear just past the first quarter in :26.3.
Alibi Seelster continued to lead the fillies to the half in :55.2 while Performing Art broke stride from back in third and was taken into the safety lane.
Skippin By, the 1-9 favourite, had watched the early action from fourth and inherited third after the Performing Art's miscue off the turn. Driver Randy Waples then sent her first over approaching the five-eighths.
Skippin By took over command before hitting the third quarter mark in 1:24 and drew away from her rivals by five lengths as she raced to the finish in 1:52.4. Alibi Hanover followed in second and Brookdale Shadow (Chris Christoforou) came on for third.
Skippin By collected her third Gold trophy of the season and fifth win in 14 seasonal starts for an annual income of $223,600 so far. The Shadow Play filly out of millionaire Metropolitan's half-sister, Southern Magnolia, was a $5,000 Lexington Select Sale steal and is campaigned by trainer Corey Johnson for Wall Bros Stable of Marion, Ohio and Bruce Soulsby of Powell, Ohio. Skippin By is a half-sibling to OSS Gold winner Roar (by Mach Three).
On the undercard, the Mark Austin Stables' Machleen and driver James MacDonald were victorious in the $10,000 Fillies & Mares Preferred 2, holding off Shellace by half a length in 1:55.1 for trainer John Cecchin. Racing for the same team of MacDonald and Cecchin, favourite Brocks Fortune settled for second-place honours in the $11,000 Preferred 2 Pace for horses and geldings as Adkins Hanover led by two lengths in 1:53.4 with Trevor Henry driving for trainer Richard Moreau. Henry and Moreau also clicked in the $7,000 Preferred 3 with Mach Of Ballykeel, who prevailed in 1:55.1.
To view Sunday’s harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Flamboro Downs.