Driver Trevor Henry utilized the pylon post with Fourever Boy and procured a pocket ride to glory when he then shot through the open stretch and took the $262,000 Charles Juravinski Memorial Cup, for pacing four-year-olds, on Sunday night (May 21) at Flamboro Downs.
The complexion of the race changed earlier in the evening when morning line choice Bythemissal was a scratch due to sickness, allowing Ron to draw in and leave from post three.
Camara Moment (Doug McNair) motored from post eight to take the lead while odds-on favourite Birthday (Yannick Gingras) struggled to find position through the first turn. He eventually found cover from Frozen Hanover (Louis-Philippe Roy), who pushed forward first over through a :27.2 first quarter in pursuit of the lead but was denied control by Camara Moment coming to the half.
Frozen Hanover stayed alongside Camara Moment through a :54.4 half, though the torrid tempo took its toll and Frozen Hanover started backing through the field up the backstretch. Birthday sprung three-wide around the fader to go nose to nose with Camara Moment at three-quarters in 1:23.2.
And through all this action, Fourever Boy sat in the pocket waiting to make a move. Racetrack opened into the stretch and Henry hustled the fresh legs of the four-year-old Sweet Lou stallion through the inside and zipped clear to a 1-1/4-length victory in 1:51.3. Camara Moment clung to finish second in a dead-heat with fast-charging Layton Hanover (Jody Jamieson), with Pleaseletmeknow (James MacDonald) closing wide on the track for fourth.
“Going into the last turn, I had thoughts of getting out,” said Trevor Henry, who picked up the drive on Fourever Boy after Dexter Dunn qualified him for the final. “Dougie [McNair]’s horse [Camara Moment] was pacing the turns better, so I figured he’ll carry me to the head of the stretch and he did. And when we came to the stretch, Dougie’s kind of drifted out a bit, I got up the inside nice and easy and it worked out great.”
Fourever Boy squeaked into the Juravinski Memorial final after finishing fifth in his elimination to Birthday last week.
“I expected him to be way better,” trainer Tim Twaddle said after the race. “Deep down, I was obviously was dreaming about winning the race, but second-guessing myself after last week of course. I spoke to Dexter a couple times through the week and made a few changes. I did a small shoeing change, we did a little vet work. He was just much sharper coming into the race.”
Fourever Boy races for owners Micki Rae Stables LLC and Tim Twaddle. In his march to millionaire status, Fourever Boy collected his sixth victory from 39 starts. His earnings currently sit at $910,961. He paid $11 to win.
Silver Label led pillar to post in the $50,000 Margaret Juravinski Memorial to stop the clock in 1:52.3.
Driver James MacDonald cleared control from Need To Breathe to a :27 first quarter and toyed with her competition from that point onward. Past a solid :55.4 half, Silver Label strolled up the backstretch with Need To Breathe growing increasingly antsy from the pocket and Goudawon making steady gains first over to three-quarters in 1:23.4.
Goudawon began a retreat from first over around the final turn and gave room for Need To Breathe to lay her attack at the top of the stretch. But MacDonald turned for home with Silver Label and caught a two-length cushion while Need To Breathe gathered her momentum while drifting on the outside. Need To Breathe came charging late, though MacDonald had the race measured and Silver Label won by a half length. Raptors Won rallied from second over to finish third and Intothemysticmoon settled for fourth.
Nick Gallucci trains Silver Label, a four-year-old mare by Bettors Delight, for owner-breeder Millar Farms. She won her 15th race from 27 starts and has now earned $912,989. Silver Label paid $2.40 to win.
Sunday’s stakes card at Flamboro also featured four divisions of Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots for sophomore trotting colts and geldings.
The Hazelton opened the card with a first-over powerhouse performance as the 1-5 favourite in the first Grassroots division.
Oceanview Massey motored from post eight to lead the field by a :28 first quarter while driver Bob McClure settled The Hazelton into third. But approaching a slowed half in :58.2, McClure angled The Hazelton first up and matched strides with the leader through the third turn and up the backstretch. The Hazelton took a narrow lead to three-quarters in 1:26.3 and widened his lead through the final turn as Oceanview Massey folded to win by 3-3/4 lengths in 1:55.2. Busting With Pride, off a pocket ride, took second and Fox Valley Ontario finished third.
Mark Etsell trains and co-owns The Hazelton with Terry Devos, Graham Hopkins and Peter Porter. The Muscle Mass colt won his fifth race from seven starts. He paid $2.50 to win.
Division two saw 1-5 choice Resolve To Win blow away his rivals. Driver Scott Young nursed the Resolve gelding to a :28 first quarter and sat patiently off leader Kinnder Thinktwice, who cruised to a :57.4 half. Young charged Resolve To Win off the pylons up the backstretch and put away Kinnder Thinktwice past three-quarters in 1:27.3 to open to a romp. Resolve To Win coasted to the finish and registered an eight-length victory in 1:57.1 over Kinnder Thinktwice with Jeronimo taking third and pocket-sitter Wolinak inheriting fourth.
Matt Bax trains Resolve To Win for owners Bax Stable, Brad Grant, Gaelic Stable and Don Allensen. He won his fourth race from 11 starts. Resolve To Win paid $2.40 to win.
Floyd The Freak posted the first front-stepping win of the Grassroots division by holding a nose decision in a 1:58 win in the third division.
Leaving from post two, driver Ed Hensley planted Floyd The Freak on the front to a :29.1 first quarter with Rough Tuff Tested, out of post eight, securing the pocket. Floyd The Freak faced no challenge to a :59 half and escaped three-quarters unpressured to clock by in 1:28.3 and ready for a two-pronged assault into the stretch. Winning Muscle angled first over and Rough Tuff Tested dove inside, both of whom dug deeper and deeper into Floyd The Freak. Though the Ashleigh Hensley trainee stayed resolute and kept a nose in front at the finish of Winning Muscle with Rough Tuff Tested finishing a head off the winner in third. Timonier took fourth.
Floyd The Freak is a homebred for Ed and Ashleigh Hensley. The Archangel gelding collected his fifth victory from 11 starts. He paid $11.50 to win.
Matt Bax scored another Grassroots win in the final division with the Muscle Mass gelding Deadline Hall, who posted a 1:56.4 win.
The Great Reset asserted for the front while Stonebridge Jasper yielded into the pocket out of post seven to a :27.4 first quarter with Deadline Hall sitting behind in third. Past a :58 half, driver Chris Christoforou lunged with Deadline Hall to press the leader to three-quarters in 1:27.4 and stalled through the final turn to have a near two-length deficit spinning for home. But upon straightening, Deadline Hall gathered his momentum and mowed down The Great Reset to put a neck in front at the beam. Cruising Tom followed the winner’s move along the rim to take third and Stonebridge Jasper settled for fourth.
Deadline Hall races for owners Bax Stable, Steve Organ and Rick Heinz. The gelding collected his second win from 14 starts. He paid $3 to win.
A replay of COSA TV's broadcast of the Charles Juravinski Memorial Cup is available below:
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click the following link: Sunday Results - Flamboro Downs.