The City Of London Series for trotters began on Friday night at Western Fair Raceway with five $7,500 divisions
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Rebel Rapids (Trevor Henry) jumped to an early six length lead in the first of three divisions for colts and geldings, but the pocket-sitting Berndt Reynolds, trained by Bob McIntosh, reined him in and went on to score in 2:04.1 by 3-1/2 lengths. Four Twenty Seven (Gord Rayner) and Schuyler (Dave Wall) finished second and third. Ross Battin drove the favoured son of Berndt Hanover-Direct Dial to his fourth win in 10 starts. Robert McIntosh Stables Inc. of Windsor, ON, C S X Stables of Liberty Center, Ohio and Dave Boyle of Bowmanville, ON share ownership of the colt.
The Kevin O’Reilly-trained Neversawhimcoming and driver Stuart Sowerby followed Xactafate Loral (Anthony MacDonald) until that one rolled off stride near the three-quarter mark. With a clear path ahead, the four-year-old gelded son of Angus Hall-Queen Of Trot surged home in :29.4 to prevail by 1-1/4 lengths in 2:04 over pacesetter Tymal Tyme (Wayne Henry) while Anahar Chase (Bruce Richardson) recovered from an early miscue to get third. Neversawhimcoming has now won half of his six starts this season for co-owners Aristi Varsakis of Grimsb and Lance Hall of Campbellville, ON.
In the final colt division, favourite Laredo Seelster (Bruce Richardson) made an early break taking himself out of contention and leaving the door open for Aguyinahorsesuit, trained by Dr. John Hayes, to pull off a 47-1 shocker. Indigo Hall (Trevor Henry), the eventual third-place finisher, set all the pace with Windsong Geant (Glen Hardy) applying pressure and eventually wearing down the leader, but it was Aguyinahorsesuit who rallied from fourth to score for the first time in just two career starts by a neck in 2:01.1. The three-year-old son of Striking Sahbra-Flores is owned by John Hayes Stable Limited, Kim Kaplan, Lynn Szafran, and Hypercompuglobalmeganet.
Ross Battin kicked off the colt divisions with a win and he did the same when the females took to the track. Striking Rose, the 7-1 third choice, struck the front at the half and held off the favoured Rebas Song (Fred Jamieson) for the 2:04 victory by three-quarters of a length. Twin B Miss D (Gord McKnight) finished over 16 lengths back in third. The three-year-old Striking Sahbra-Armbro Rosalind filly is trained by Mike Keeling for P C Wellwood Enterprises Inc. of Cambridge and the A K Malik Stable of Ottawa, ON. The win was her third in nine attempts.
Front-runner My Senorita, who was sent postward as the 7-2 third choice, advanced to the lead from the outside Post 6 and went all the way to score in 2:04.1 by 4-1/4 lengths with Oaklea Roz (Robert Sparling Jr.) second and the rest of the field over 23 lengths in arrears after making breaks. Don Harmon trains and drives the four-year-old daughter of Amigo Hall-Melodic Speed, who is two-for-six, for Krista Williams of Jackson, Michigan.
The series, for Ontario sired trotters that are non-winners of $10,000 lifetime as of midnight April 1, 2010, will continue next Friday, May 21 with $7,500 divisions and will wrap up with a $40,000 (added) final on Friday, May 28.
To view Friday's results, click here.