REXDALE — Ontario’s top three-year-old pacing fillies put on an impressive display for Woodbine Racetrack fans Monday evening with Burning Point recording the quickest victory, a 1:52.1 score in the third Gold Series Elimination.
The Camluck filly received a textbook steer from driver Kevin Wallis, stalking pacesetter Lucky Irma from third through fractions of :26, :56.1 and 1:25 before driving up the outside to the lead and pulling away down the stretch to the two and a half length victory.
Reigning Gold Final winner Lucky Irma stayed game for second with Rude Native making an impressive sprint down the stretch into third. Fourth-place finisher Maple Lady could also advance to next Monday’s $130,000 Gold Final if luck is on her side. The top three finishers automatically earn a spot in the Final but only one fourth-place finisher, drawn by lot, will join them.
Linda Wallis trains Burning Point for Cuzzins Stable of Boca Raton, FL. The filly went into her first Ontario Sires Stakes event of the season off a two-race win streak at Detroit’s Hazel Park, where she captured the $100,000 Roses Are Red Final on May 23.
Sent off as the favourite based on her impressive resume, Burning Point returned $3.00, $2.50 and $2.10, while Lucky Irma’s fans earned $4.40 and $3.40 for her place effort and long shot Rude Native paid $7.30. The exactor was worth $15.30 and the triactor $159.90.
Favourite Armbro Athletic also got the job done in the first elimination for trainer Bob Young of Guelph and his partners Paul Gazzola of Guelph, Brian Barton of Carlisle and The Whim Stable of Burlington. The Village Jiffy filly sat comfortably behind Northern Harmony as last year’s Ontario Sires Stakes champion rolled through fractions of :26.1, :57 and 1:27, then fired down the stretch to the 1:54 victory.
Regular driver Roger Mayotte was in the race bike for the win, Armbro Athletic’s fifth this season. Feathery Fame edged out Northern Harmony to secure the runner-up’s cheque with Special Beauty rounding out the top four.
Armbro Athletic’s supporters received $3.00 to win, $2.40 to show and $2.10 to place. Feathery Fame returned $5.70 and $3.30 and Northern Harmony delivered a $3.80 show ticket. The Armbro Athletic and Feathery Fame exactor equalled $20.90 and adding Northern Harmony into the mix resulted in a $105.20 triactor pay out.
The final elimination saw the only upset as A And Gs Dream and Mike Saftic recorded an effortless wire-to-wire victory over Ascending and favourite The Patriot.
George Plyley trains A And Gs Dream for breeder Willie Tomlin of the Bronx, NY. The Pacific Rocket daughter made her 2003 Ontario Sires Stakes debut in the Grassroots program at Dresden Raceway on May 19, where she made a break and finished at the rear of the field, but Monday evening she was flawless en route to the 1:53 victory.
Sent off as the fans’ second choice, A And Gs Dream returned $6.80, $4.00 and $2.40. Third choice Ascending paid $7.50 and $3.90 and favourite The Patriot, making her 2003 debut, returned $2.20. The 1 – 8 exactor cashed in at $27.30 and the triactor was worth $77.10.
The fillies return to Woodbine Racetrack on Monday, June 23 for the second of five $130,000 Gold Series Finals on their sophomore schedule.