INNISFIL, ON — Georgian Downs kicks off two months of exceptional Ontario Sires Stakes action this Saturday when the three-year-old trotting fillies roll into Innisfil for their first Gold Series event.
All of the top fillies from last season have returned to the provincial program, joined by an impressive line up of newcomers hoping to find their niche at the Gold Series level. Leading Ontario Sires Stakes conditioner John Bax is among those prepping first time starters, debuting Featured Image from Post 5 in the second $37,713 elimination.
“We trained her down last year and her knees were bothering her so we turned her out,” says Bax, who shares ownership on Featured Image with John F. Hayes of Sharon and Paul Kinmond and William White of Peterborough. “She’s a big, coarse Balanced Image mare and she wasn’t really that interested in racing, so it was a pretty easy decision.”
When the filly resumed training last fall she still seemed unenthusiastic about her work and Bax says it was a rather slow and sometimes painful process getting Featured Image ready for her Sires Stakes debut.
“She could do it, but she wasn’t that interested,” says the Peterborough resident. “It took her a while to figure out my way was the right way.”
Featured Image qualified twice in April, but made a late break in her first start and had to return to the qualifying ranks on May 3. A 1:59.3 winner at Georgian Downs in her second trip behind the starting gate, the fractious youngster then made a break in a Trillium Series event at Grand River Raceway on May 21 and a mistake in an overnight at Mohawk Racetrack on May 31, forcing her to qualify for a fourth time on June 7.
Returning to Georgian Downs on June 12, the filly delivered an impressive 1:58.2 victory and earned herself a shot at the top fillies in the province on Saturday.
“She’s a really strong, powerful mare, so I’m not sure how fast she’ll be,” says Bax. “I hope she’ll develop into a Gold filly, but if she doesn’t, she doesn’t.
“She’s showing some talent, we just have to work on her manners a little,” he adds. “She’s pretty well a Balanced Image; strong-minded.”
Thornton resident Stephen Byron will pilot Featured Image in Saturday’s fourth race, facing off against last year’s number three filly Constance Hall. Constance Hall heads into the Gold Series season opener from three outings against the top fillies in North America and will start from Post 2 for trainer Bob McIntosh of LaSalle and owners Walnut Hall Limited of Lexington, KY.
Last season’s Super Final winner Carolyn AS makes her sophomore debut from Post 4 in the second race, while Casual Breeze division winner Maple Sugar headlines the third elimination.
Georgian Downs will call its first race to the post at 7:35 pm on Saturday and then turn the spotlight on the talented trotting fillies in Races 2, 4, and 6. The top three finishers from each elimination will return to the Innisfil oval on Saturday, June 30 for the first $130,000 Gold Final of their sophomore season.
For complete entries please go to:
http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/entries/data/egeodfsa.html