Allstar Seelster zipped around The Raceway’s half-mile oval to capture the third and quickest of a trio of $70,000 Ontario Sires Stakes division for three-year-old colt pacers at the London oval.
With Doug McNair at the lines for trainer/owner Jack Darling, Allstar Seelster grabbed control from the three spot as the wings folded and never looked back. He ticked off fractions of :27.4, :57 and 1:25.2 and was home first in 1:55. Falcon Justice (Mister Big) was second followed by Ideal Jet (Jeremes Jet).
A son of Artistic Fella, Allstar Seelster is now 2-2-0 in four 2014 starts for $52,000 in earnings. Darling purchased the gelding from the Forest City Sale for $35,000. He is the second foal from a half-sister to Fire On The Water ($408,000) and Aqua Artist ($306,000).
It was a Shadow Play sweep in the second split as Reasonable Force gave Trevor Henry a 1:55.4 front end ride to win over fellow colts from Shadow Play’s first crop Silverhill Shadow and Shadowbriand.
It was the fourth win this year for Reasonable Force owned by Doug Dunbar of London and Robert LeBlanc of New York. Bred by Charlotte Ranch and Reg Petitpas of New Brunswick, the colt’s dam is a half-sister to $1.2 million winner Shady Character while the second dam is a sister to the great Shady Daisy ($1.8 million).
The first division saw last year’s Metro champ Boomboom Ballykeel and Sylvain Filion haul down Roger Mach Em and Paul MacDonell in the stretch to win in 1:56.2. The first two finishers are by Mach Three. Major Homer (Major In Art) was third.
It was the first start of the year for Boomboom Ballykeel, a winner of $424,000 to date from nine lifetime starts for owner/breeder Ballykeel Racing of Tillsonburg.