LONDON, ON – Western Silk was an easy winner capturing the fastest of three $40,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold eliminations for three-year-old filly pacers, which were dominated by the favourites, Friday at Western Fair Raceway.
Warm Waffles, a runner-up in the Ontario Spring Series on May 10 at Woodbine Racetrack, broke her maiden with a wire-to-wire romp in the first elimination for trainer John Pentland and owner Robert Hamather of Exeter, ON.
Odds on Warm Waffles left from Post 4 with Mark MacDonald in the bike and put up a quick :27.2 quarter with Mother Hen (Jody Jamieson), the even-money second choice, settling for a pocket ride.
The Mistress (Trevor Henry) made the first over sacrifice with All Chocolate (Scott Zeron) following her cover en route to the half in :57. All Chocolate attempted to go three-wide down the backstretch but couldn’t get past The Mistress as the field moved past the third station in 1:25.4.
Meanwhile, Warm Waffles continued to shine at the top of the pack and sped home in :28.3 to win in 1:54.2 by 1-1/4 length. Mother Hen followed her under the wire with Perfume N Pearls (Terry Kerr) five lengths in arrears.
Warm Waffles returned $5.50 to win as the 8-5 favourite. Unraced at two, the daughter of Camluck-Waffle Hanover now has one win and two second-place finishes on her four-race record with $40,000 in earnings.
Tiz To Dream made a successful sophomore debut winning her elimination in wire-to-wire fashion. The Grinfromeartoear-Extreme Dream darling left from Post 4 with driver Doug McNair and reached the first quarter in :27.3 before taking a breather. Tiz To Dream led the field past the half in :57.1 and three-quarters in 1:25.4 where Misty Moonstone (Peter Core) pulled the pocket and offered up a late challenge, but Tiz To Dream held on for the 1:54.2 victory by a half-length. Lily Ellie (Mike Langdon) rounded out the top three finishing two lengths behind.
Tiz To Dream paid $3.40 to win as the 3-5 favourite. The bay filly won six of her 16 starts as a freshman, including an OSS Gold Final, and banked $313,417 for trainer Gregg McNair, who also shares ownership with Paul Kidd of Guelph, ON.
Last year’s divisional leader Western Silk also made her season’s debut a winning one in the third and final elimination for trainer Casie Coleman, who co-owns with Tom Hill of Lancashire, Great Britain.
Kims Quest (Doug McNair) left sharply from Post 3 with Holiday Shopper (Duke Sugg) making a break and causing interference to most of the field before the :28.3 first quarter. MacDonald eased Post 4 starter Western Silk into third but sent the daughter of Western Terror-Extemporaneous to the top en route to the half :57.4. The heavy 1-9 favourite picked up the pace during the third interval reaching the next marker in 1:25.4 and was home free as she turned into the stretch. Western Silk kicked away by 13 lengths with a :27.3 final frame for the victory in 1:53.2.
Kims Quest finished second with Terror Rising (Brad Forward) third.
Western Silk won seven races in 14 starts, including three OSS Gold Finals, and $319,804 at two. She paid $2.10 across the board for her first win this year.