It didn’t take long for the Ontario-sired pacing filly Maplelea to pay for herself. Purchased by Andrew Moore of Russell, Ontario, for $7,000 at the annual Harrisburg yearling sale, the daughter of Sportswriter earned that exact amount in just her fourth lifetime start and first on the major circuit in Ontario, Woodbine Entertainment Group.
Now three, Maplelea made her debut late in her two-year-old season. She started three times at Moore’s home track of Rideau Carleton Raceway in Ottawa, before heading to Woodbine on January 8. With Rick Zeron aboard she cruised to a four length victory in 1:57.4.
The talented distaffer captured a leg of the Miss Vera Bars series and finished second in the final. She’s now competing in the Horseplayer Interactive Series where she has dominated. In the first leg, on March 6, she won by more than five lengths. In the second she extended her winning margin to nine lengths, earning a new life mark of 1:53.4. Maplelea will have the opportunity to complete the series sweep in the $39,400 final on March 21.
Bred by Concord Stud of New Jersey, the filly is from the very impressive first crop of Sportswriter. A winner of $1.6 million during his career, Sportswriter led all Ontario pacing stallions in earnings in the OSS program, despite the fact that he only had two-year-olds competing.
Maplelea’s dam, Maple Lady, is by Run The Table, another dominant stallion in the OSS program in his prime. A winner of $317,000 in her career, Maple Lady’s dam is the $619,000 winner Cams Exotic.