LONDON, ON — Western Fair Raceway wrapped up its spring meet with a bang on Friday as three-year-old trotting filly Pure Ivory shattered the track and Ontario Sires Stakes record to capture her first sophomore Gold Final.
With elimination winners Oaklea Omega and Pure Ivory lining up beside each other from Posts 2 and 3, fans were looking forward to some sharp early fractions and they were not disappointed. Dave Wall fired Oaklea Omega off the gate to a :27.4 opening quarter, with Trevor Ritchie and Birminghim hot on their heels from Post 6. Steve Condren opted to float off the gate with Pure Ivory and they were eight and a half lengths back in fifth when the pacesetters reached the quarter pole.
Wall and Oaklea Omega slowed things down on the way to the :57.4 half and the competition started to march up the outside heading for the 1:26.4 three-quarters. Terry Kerr and Porsche Hall pulled to the outside first and Condren was quick to slide out on their heels. At the top of the stretch Oaklea Omega was still on top by one length but she was no match for the fillies who had opted out of the frantic early pace.
Two and one-quarter lengths to the rear when they turned for home, Pure Ivory thundered down the stretch to a three length victory in a track and Ontario Sires Stakes record 1:57.2. Geisha Hall sprinted home to claim the runner-up’s share of the $130,000 purse and Porsche Hall stayed game for third. Fan favourite Oaklea Omega settled for fourth, four lengths behind the winner.
Pure Ivory’s third straight victory tore almost two full seconds off the track record set by Oaklea Omega in last weekend’s elimination round and lowered the Ontario Sires Stakes mark, last set by McCall Magic at Flamboro Downs in 2004, by two-fifths of a second.
Brad Maxwell trains Pure Ivory, a daughter of Striking Sahbra and Image Control, for Jerry Vanboekel of Bright, breeder Harry Rutherford of Mount Pleasant, driver Condren of Milton, and Christina Maxwell of Cambridge.
The partners watched their filly post a record of 10 wins, one second and one third in 14 starts last season and were delighted when she was honoured with the O’Brien award as Canada’s top two-year-old trotting filly. This year they are looking forward to another superlative season as Pure Ivory has already garnered three wins in five starts and boosted her earnings to $580,308.
Western Fair Raceway fans gave a slight edge to Oaklea Omega in Friday’s battle, sending Pure Ivory off as their second choice and the filly returned $4.30 to win, $3.50 to place and $3.20 to show. Long shot Geisha Hall delivered $16.10 and $5.80 pay outs to her loyal backers and fourth choice Porsche Hall paid $5.40 to show. The Pure Ivory – Geisha Hall exactor returned $115.40 and adding Porsche Hall into the mix for a triactor netted fans $662.60.
Pure Ivory will not have an opportunity to defend her Gold Final title until Aug. 7 at Mohawk Racetrack, but fans can catch her in action in the Canadian Breeders Championship at Mohawk in July.
The Ontario Sires Stakes will return to Western Fair Raceway next spring with a fresh crop of trotters and pacers eager to carve their names into the history books.
For complete results please go to:
http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/results/data/rlonfr.html#N11