Filion Hits $100 Million; Autumn Series Underway

Published: November 1, 2016 12:31 am EDT

Sylvain Filion joined an elite club Monday evening when he watched his lifetime earnings soar past $100 million thanks to another productive night at the office at Mohawk Racetrack.

Filion entered the 11-race card needing just under $9,000 to achieve the money milestone, and a second-place finish behind pacing filly Jimbelina pushed him past his target.

The Quebec native, who now calls Milton, Ont. his home, is a three-time O’Brien Award winner as the nation’s leading reinsman. The career winner of 8,327 races, is also on the verge of capturing yet another driving title on the WEG circuit.

Monday’s card at Mohawk also featured more of the Autumn Series, with three-year-old fillies battling in nearly half of the card.

I Want Kandy turned out to be a perfect hunch play on Halloween night despite making a lengthy break in the early stages of the mile. The filly, who was off stride for what appeared to be almost one-quarter of the mile, dug herself out of that deep hole for driver Rick Zeron and swept past her foes in the late stages of the $18,000 contest. Her :28.3 closing panel propelled her to the win by 1-1/2 lengths over Devils Advocate in 1:57.3. Dayliner was third.

Anthony Montini trains the daughter of Angus Hall-Celebrity Kandy for his wife, Albina Montini, and partners Paul Giammichele, Vincent Albanese and Kwong Sum Low. It was the fifth win of the year – and the seventh to date – for the career winner of $70,370.

Majestic Presence rallied from out of the clouds to win the other division for trotting fillies, and she did so in a career-best clocking of 1:57.3 for trainer/driver Dagfin Henriksen.

She got away sixth before getting backed up to be ninth and parked as the field headed into the final quarter of the contest. Henriksen angled her wide as the group entered the lane, and she smoked home in :28 en route to nabbing the win by three-quarters of a length over Whambamthankumaam. Race favourite Trumpets took home the show dough.

Gerald Haggerty of Camden East, Ont. recently moved the trotter into Henriksen’s care, and it’s clearly a move that’s paid of handsomely. It was the first time in 16 starts this season that the filly has managed to hit the board. She’s banked over $13,000 this year and more than $30,000 in her career.

The pacing fillies were on display in a trio of $18,000 divisions, and Trilife took advantage of sweet trip en route to posting a nose decision in the opening contest in 1:53.3.

Jonathan Drury had Trilife on the lead from Post 8 and together they sliced out the opening quarter in :27.1. They took a backseat to Dancin Inthe Nude in the second quarter, as that foe motored to the top and threw down middle panels of :56 and 1:25. Drury angled off the rail in the lane with the Ben Wallace pupil, and the filly’s :28.1 closing speed earned her the narrow win over Never Any Doubt. Even-money favourite Drift Panic was third.

Sent off at odds of 5-1, Trilife won for the fourth time this season and for the sixth time in her career. Breeder William Boden of Vancouver, BC shares ownership on the career winner of $54,660 with Wallacestandardbreds Inc of Puslinch, Ont.

Docs Sausalito was another winner who rallied from another area code to get the job done. Travis Cullen manufactured the winning trip for the Nick Gallucci trainee who made a three-wide move at the three-quarter pole and then kicked home in :28.4 to win by a length over race favourite Queenofthejungle in 1:54.3. Acefourtyfour Alex cut middle fractions of :56.1 and 1:25.1 before fading to finish third.

Bred and owned by Dr. Andrew Roberts of Lexington, KY, the daughter of Art Colony-Docs Lioness improved this year’s record to 4-3-1 from 17 trips to the track. The five-time winner is just shy of $50,000 in career earnings.

Top Royal survived a tough trip to win the final division for the three-year-old pacing fillies. Phil Hudon had her parked and pressing for the lead while racing in the first-over slot nearing the mid-way point of the mile. After battling with tempo-setter Tempus Seelster through middle split of :56 and 1:24.2, the daughter of Royal Mattjesty-Top Of The World dug down deep and used a :29.4 kicker to prevail by a neck over Jimbelina in 1:54.1. Tempus Seelster was third.

Toll shares ownership on the eight-time winner with Brydown Farms Inc of Clinton, Ont. The career winner of $76,410 captured the Autumn Series for two-year-old pacing fillies.

To view results for Monday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Monday Results – Mohawk Racetrack.

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