INNISFIL, ON — Arlanda Hanover capped off an impressive season with a commanding victory in the last Trillium Series event at Georgian Downs on Saturday evening.
The two-year-old trotting filly and driver Paul Mackenzie allowed Sophie Soleil to clock the :29 opening fraction while they looked on from fourth, then fired up the outside to the lead. From the :59.1 half to the 1:28.1 three-quarters Arlanda Hanover put four lengths between herself and the field and down the stretch the talented young trotter extended that to six lengths, cruising comfortably under the wire in a track record 1:58.2.
Armbro Diffuse roughed it on the outside to finish a well deserved second and early leader Sophie Soleil rounded out the top three.
Trained by Mark Steacy of Lansdowne for his partners David Reid of Glenburnie and Asif Malik of Ottawa, Arlanda Hanover hit her stride in late August and posted a record of five wins, four seconds and one third in 11 starts for earnings of $458,254. In addition to Saturday’s Trillium victory, the $35,000 yearling acquisition posted wins in the Oakville Stakes final at Mohawk Racetrack and the Matron Stakes elimination and final at Dover Downs.
The daughter of American-based sire SJs Caviar went into Saturday’s contest off a 1:57 personal best in the Matron final and was sent off as the heavy favourite in Race 8. She returned $2.80 to win, $2.40 to place and $2.60 to show. Second choice Armbro Diffuse paid $2.70 on each place and show wager and fourth choice Sophie Soleil delivered a $3.90 show pay out.
Combining the top choices on an exactor ticket netted fans $9.40 and adding Sophie Soleil into the mix for a triactor play boosted the return to $20.10.
Arlanda Hanover’s 1:58.2 mile peeled more than two seconds off the former two-year-old trotting filly track record of 2:00.4 set by Blossom Seelster, another Ontario-owned, American-sired filly, in Trillium action in 2003. To put Arlanda Hanover’s mid-November effort in perspective, her mile was faster than the 1:59.2 mark set by two-year-old trotting colt Gold Final winner Mr Ontario in July and was just one-fifth of a second off the three-year-old trotting filly speed tab of 1:58.1.
Saturday’s contest wrapped up the Trillium and Ontario Sires Stakes season for the two-year-old trotting fillies, who will be back in action on the provincial circuit next year.
The talented trotters and pacers competing in the Ontario Sires Stakes program delivered 11 exceptional evenings of racing to Georgian Downs fans this season, including three track records and eight Grassroots Championships. The Innisfil oval will host another outstanding slate of provincial battles next year, as part of the program’s thirty-third season.
For complete results please go to:
http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/results/data/rgeodfsa.html#N8