JULY 13, 2009 – Grand River Raceway fans got a look at this season’s highly talented two-year-old trotting fillies on Monday evening, as the youngsters battled in five Gold Eliminations.
Leading the talented parade back to Elora for the July 20 Gold Final is Wilsonator, whose 2:00.4 triumph in the second $40,000 Gold Elimination set a track record for freshman trotting fillies, lowering the former record by three-fifths of a second.
Starting from Post 4, driver Mike Saftic fired Wilsonator off the starting gate and dropped into second spot on the rail behind Cross Of Lorraine. Saftic kept Wilsonator close to the pace as the leader rolled through fractions of :29.3, :59.4 and 1:29.2, and when Cross Of Lorraine began to struggle with her footing around the final turn, the veteran reinsman pointed Wilsonator at the wire and hit the gas.
Trotting strongly through the stretch, Wilsonator pulled away to a one and three-quarter length victory in track record time. Ruling Class followed Wilsonator around the oval into second, with Isthatallyagot closing well to complete the triactor.
Mike Wade trains Wilsonator for owner-breeders Edward Wilson of Seagrave and Michael Pozefksy of Gloversville, NY. The Kadabra filly prepared for Monday’s effort with a pair of qualifiers at Mohawk Racetrack on June 22 and 29, reaching the wire in 2:03.1 in both.
With five eliminations, only the top two finishers from each advanced to the Gold Final, and trainer Wayne Henry landed a spot in the lucrative final with Daylon Mission in Race 1. After making an early break, Daylon Mission and Arthur resident Henry made up a deficit of more than 16 lengths to finish second to Boots N Hearts.
Veteran reinsman Dave “Mr. OSS” Wall engineered the 2:04.3 victory for Boots N Hearts, relegating pacesetter Soft Mink to third. Wall also bred and owns Boots N Hearts, a chestnut daughter of Striking Sahbra and Dell Ridge Savanna, who is a full-sister to former OSS star Dell Ridge Image. Wall’s son Dean trains the filly, who had been fourth in three qualifiers and a division of the July 5 Robert Stewart Stakes at Mohawk Racetrack prior to Monday’s victory.
The third Gold Elimination saw Trevor Ritchie and Sooner Than Later deliver a commanding front end performance that saw them reach the finish five lengths ahead of the field in 2:02.3. Wheatley resident Doug McIntosh trains Sooner Than Later for his partner William Weaver III of Freehold, NJ. The homebred daughter of Striking Sahbra and New Image Soon captured both of her qualifying efforts at Mohawk, and finished second in the Robert Stewart Stakes.
Daria Hall and Our Angel Flight rounded out the top three in the third elimination.
Riina Rekila and Random Destiny eked out a neck victory in the sixth race, hanging tough against a charging Angel Creek. Oaklea Sierra recovered from an early break to earn the third-place finisher’s share of the $40,000 purse.
Rekila trains Random Destiny for Esa Lahtinen, who offered up $22,000 for the Ken Warkentin daughter at last fall’s Forest City Yearling Sale. The filly had just one qualifier under her belt prior to Monday’s test, a third-place effort at Mohawk on July 3.
The final elimination went to Little River Dance and trainer-driver Bradley Kramer, who toured the Grand River oval on the front end in 2:01.2. Tommi My Girl sewed up the last spot in the July 20 Gold Final, while Excellence took home the third-place spoils.
Lennon, MI resident Kramer trains and drives Little River Dance for his partners Timothy Hall of Burton, MI, and Richard Siedel and Scott MacArthur of Clifton, NJ. Kramer and Hall also bred the daughter of Angus Hall and Benns Riverdance, who had three qualifiers at Michigan’s Hazel Park before making the trip to Grand River Raceway.
Kramer will steer Little River Dance from the trailing Post 10 in next week’s $130,000 Gold Final, with the remainder of the field lining up behind the starting gate as follows:
Two-year-old filly trot Gold Final — Monday, July 20
Post 1 Daria Hall
Post 2 Sooner Than Later
Post 3 Daylon Mission
Post 4 Tommi My Girl
Post 5 Wilsonator
Post 6 Angel Creek
Post 7 Ruling Class
Post 8 Boots N Hearts
Post 9 Random Destiny
Post 10 Little River Dance
RESULTS (Including Post, Horse, (Sire), Driver/Trainer, Pay Outs, Race Fractions):
(Races detailed below are only those featuring locally owned horses. For complete results please go to: http://standardbredcanada.ca/racing/results/data/r0713grvrn.dat.)
RACE 1 $40,000
5 – Boots N Hearts (Striking Sahbra) Da. Wall/De. Wall $13.60 $6.30 $3.60
1 – Daylon Mission (Amigo Hall) W. Henry/W. Henry $3.60 $3.80
Owned by Henry Stable, Arthur and Daniel McCann, Parkhill.
3 – Soft Mink (Banker Hall) G. Gagnon/R. Moreau $4.60
Power Of Tea, owned by James MacDonald and Nicholas Boyd, Guelph, and Jason Ryan, Troy, finished fourth.
Scratched: Magic Treasure
Exactor 5 – 1: $52.70
Triactor 5 – 1 – 3: $400.10
Superfecta 5 – 1 – 3 – 2: $847.95
Race Fractions: :29.1, 1:00, 1:31.3 and 2:04.3
RACE 2 $40,000
4 – Wilsonator (Kadabra) M. Saftic/M. Wade $16.30 $7.90 $3.00
8 – Ruling Class (Angus Hall) S. Byron/J. Bax $6.80 $4.30
6 – Isthatallyagot (Southwind Lustre) A. MacDonald/J. MacDonald $3.70
Warrawee Lassie, owned by Dr. Michael Wilson, Rockwood; Frank O’Reilly, Orton; and Jim Fielding and John Fielding, Toronto, finished sixth.
Exactor 4 – 8: $502.40
Triactor 4 – 8 – 6: $809.80
Superfecta 4 – 8 – 6 – 7: $890.75
Race Fractions: :29.3, :59.4, 1:29.2 and 2:00.4
RACE 4 $40,000
1 – Sooner Than Later (Striking Sahbra) T. Ritchie/D. McIntosh $2.30 $2.10 $2.10
3 – Daria Hall (Striking Sahbra) D. Brown/D. Brown $3.20 $2.50
8 – Our Angel Flight (Ken Warkentin) T. Jacobs/T. Jacobs $3.80
Charming Way, owned by Henry Stable, Arthur and James Laverty, Sauble Beach, finished fourth. Tortes Finale, owned by Gary Brown, Guelph, finished fifth.
Exactor 1 – 3: $15.80
Triactor 1 – 3 – 8: $83.00
Superfecta 1 – 3 – 8 – 2: $265.65
Race Fractions: :29.4, 1:01.1, 1:31.3 and 2:02.3
RACE 8 $40,000
5 – Little River Dance (Angus Hall) B. Kramer/B. Kramer $5.30 $4.10 $2.60
3 – Tommi My Girl (Ken Warkentin) K. Sheppard/K. Sheppard $3.00 $2.60
1 – Excellence (Kadabra) R. Mayotte/F. O’Reilly $2.80
Velten Ladolcevita, owned by Henry Stable, Arthur, finished eighth.
Exactor 5 – 3: $24.00
Triactor 5 – 3 – 1: $112.70
Superfecta 5 – 3 – 1 – 6: $434.55
Race Fractions: :30.1, 1:00.4, 1:31.3 and 2:01.2
For more information please contact Sandra Snyder at 519-656-2017 (Tel./Fax) or smsnyder@sentex.net.
Visit www.ontariosiresstakes.com for up to date point standings and more.
