Three-year-old pacers did battle in the opening leg of the Ontario Graduate Series on Tuesday evening at Georgian Downs, with fillies sparring in a trio of splits and colt and geldings going at it in a pair of divisions
.
Shadys Art got away last in her $15,000 assignment, but she used a powerful kick on the end of the mile to garner a narrow score in 1:56 for driver Simon Allard and trainer George Hunt. Gwinning Gwen threw down fractions of :27.4, :58.1 and 1:27 before getting picked off by Shadys Art, who used a :28.4 closing panel to seal the half-length decision over the pacesetter. Milliondollarfeeln was third.
The homebred daughter of Modern Art-Shadys FG improved her 2011 record to 3-2-3 from 18 trips to the track for owner/breeder Marvyn Walter McKee of Peterborough, ON. She’s stashed away more than $46,000 to date.
Epoxy Queen put the pedal to the metal in the second division, and she kept on trucking en route to posting a career-best score in 1:51.4 for driver Steve Byron. He hustled the Camluck-Tropicana Chris miss through fractions of :27, :55.2 and 1:23 before using a :28.4 closing quarter to win by 5-3/4 lengths over Lyons Puddin Pie. Montenegro was a distant third.
The Millar Farms’ homebred, who hangs her harness bag in the barn of trainer Eric Adams, went 4-for-11 last year and she’s answered with a 4-for-10 campaign this season. She’s stashed away more than $130,000 in lifetime earnings.
Lucky Taryn was 0-for-22 on the season going into her $15,000 effort, and the daughter of Mach Three-Lucky Kathy ended her long winless skid with a narrow score in 1:53.2 for trainer Lou Eftimiadis. Anthony MacDonald moved the filly to the front shortly past the :28-second opener, and once she cleared she threw down fractions of :56.3 and 1:24.2 before using a :29-second closing quarter to grab the win. Machs Delicacy was a neck back in second, with Eternal Luck a distant third.
Gerald Mijal of Westland, MI bred and owns the four-time winner. She’s banked in excess of $22,000 this year and more than $91,000 to date.
Del Rio Seelster powered home in :27.4 to take the opening division for the colts and geldings in a career-best clocking of 1:52. Scott Zeron engineered the off-the-pace triumph with the John Pentland pupil, who drew clear to win by 2-3/4 lengths over Lucky Encounter. Lyons Johnny rounded out the top three finishers in the $15,000 tilt.
Closing at odds of 9-2, the son of Western Maverick-Demi Seelster improved his sophomore record to 3-1-1 in eight tries for Natalie Pentland of Dorchester, Synerco Ventures Inc of Toronto and Clarence Devos of Langton, ON. His earnings surpassed $35,000 with the win.
Mach It Big came within one-fifth of a second from matching his lifetime mark when he front-stepped to a 1:53.1 tally in his assignment. Sylvain Filion marched the son of Mach Three-Belinda Hanover to the top and the colt led through splits of :27.3, :57.1 and 1:25.2 before using a :27.4 closing quarter to cement the win by a pair of lengths over Dreamfair Kovu. Race favourite Hold Your Hat grabbed the show dough.
Richard Moreau trains the five-time winner, who has banked $118,790 in his career, for Keith and Deborah Cassell of Smiths Falls, ON.
Nine trotters went postward in Tuesday’s $15,000 Preferred #2, with Sir Winston coming out on top for the team of driver Scott Zeron and trainer Ted MacDonnell. The five-year-old son of Revenue S supplied the field with fractions of :28, :57.4 and 1:27 before punching home in :29.2 to secure the win by half a length over Logans Hero in 1:56.2. Chinnys Wings sat a ground-saving trip throughout the mile and finished third.
Sent off as the 9-5 favourite, the gelding picked up his fourth win of the season and the 11th of his career for the partnership of MacDonell, David Reid, Doubledox Stable and Stake Your Claim Stable. He’s banked more than $238,000 to date.
To view results for Tuesday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Tuesday Results – Georgian Downs.