Two-year-old pacing filly Right On Molly kept her career record perfect while lowering the divisional track record in the first of two $40,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold eliminations held on Friday at Grand River Raceway.
Driver Doug McNair settled Right On Molly into third from post three before sending her first up following opening panels of :27.4 and :57.4. The 1-5 favourite cleared to command before the 1:26 third quarter station and then cruised home to win by two lengths.
Right On Molly's 1:54.2 clocking shaved three-fifths of a second off Mindsweeper's track record for frosh filly pacers, which was set in July 2011 in the elimination round for the Battle Of The Belles Stakes.
The winner returned $2.40 to her backers. Its No Secret (Anthony MacDonald) finished second while Best Impressions (Roger Mayotte) came on for third. Kamkar Kutie (James MacDonald) and Raise Your Glass (Trevor Henry) were fourth and fifth, respectively.
Right On Molly is now four-for-four in her young career with $117,000 banked in purse earnings. She is trained by Tony O'Sullivan for the Let It Ride Stables Inc., Robert Cooper Stables LLC, and J And T Silva Stables LLC. All of 'Molly's starts have been in the OSS program and include prior victories at the Grassroots level on July 1 at Mohawk Racetrack, and a sweep of the Gold Series elimination and final later that month at Rideau Carleton Raceway.
Kims Royal Day later went gate-to-wire to win the second elimination in a career-best equalling time of 1:55.2 for driver Anthony MacDonald and trainer Blake MacIntosh.
With the inside post advantage, the Royal Mattjesty-Kims Caper filly grabbed the lead off the gate with the rest of the field following in post position order through opening panels of :27.3 and :57.2. Burstin Bubbles (Anthony Haughan) advanced first up from third down the backstretch with 3-5 favourite Macharoundtheclock (Scott Zeron) following cover and fanning wide past the 1:26.4 third quarter mark before making a costly break in stride. Down the stretch, Kims Royal Day managed to hold off Burstin Bubbles to win by a head.
She paid $17.90 for the mild upset. Prynne Hanover (Roger Mayotte) finished third while Mary Celeste (Trevor Henry) and Macharoundtheclock finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
MacIntosh also owns Kims Royal Day with Stuart McIntosh of Essex, Ont. The filly now sports a record reading 2-1-2 in give outings with earnings totalling $79,580. Prior to tonight, she won an OSS Gold elimination on June 28 at Mohawk and hit the board in the Gold Series elimination and final at Rideau.
Here is a look at the field in post position order for the $130,000 Gold Final, scheduled for next Friday, Sept. 14 at Grand River.
1. Kamkur Kutie
2. Prynne Hanover
3. Its No Secret
4. Burstin Bubbles
5. Mary Celeste
6. Kims Royal Day
7. Best Impressions
8. Right On Molly
AE1. Macharoundtheclock
AE2. Raise Your Glass
To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Grand River Raceway.