REXDALE, ON — Ontario’s top three-year-old trotting fillies open their Sires Stakes season at Woodbine Racetrack on Monday evening with a pair of Gold Series Eliminations. Absent from the season premiere are all five of the top money earners from 2004, which should give fillies like Rene Laarman’s Philhallmonic an opportunity to emerge from the chorus into a starring role.
“She’s got lots of talent, but she was maybe a little immature last year, maybe had a few quirks physically that bothered her,” says Guelph resident Laarman. “Hopefully she’s outgrown those problems. She’s grown up a lot, she’s really filled out and, to me, she has really matured a lot.”
As a two-year-old Philhallmonic teetered on the brink of the top tier, capturing one Gold Elimination and finishing second in a Gold Final while banking a total of $84,185 for owners Melvin Hartman of Ottawa, Charles Armstrong of Brampton and Dr. Scott Anderson of Campbellville. The Angus Hall daughter prepped for Monday’s contest with a solid qualifier at Mohawk Racetrack on May 10 that saw her circle the seven-eighths mile oval in 2:01.4, three and a half lengths ahead of the competition.
“In the back of my mind I was hoping to get two qualifiers,” remarks Laarman. “We just ended up getting one, but I wasn’t worried about racing her in any overnights. It’s such a long season, and she’s eligible to everything this year. We even paid her into the Hambletonian Oaks, just because there is a gap in her schedule then.”
Philhallmonic will start her sophomore campaign from Post 6 in Woodbine’s second race on Monday, with regular reinsman Steve Condren back at the lines.
“I’m hoping Steve can go with her all year. He’s pretty good with these young horses,” notes Laarman.
“And the six-hole is a good spot. The one and 10 are about the worst spots for a trotter so we’re happy to be in the middle of the gate,” he adds. “I think she’s pretty versatile. She can get off the gate pretty good, but if things don’t set up her way you can always race her from off the pace.”
Hartman, Armstrong and Anderson acquired Philhallmonic for $115,000 as a yearling in 2003 and the trio thought enough of her two-year-old campaign to go back to the Harrisburg Yearling Sale last fall and offer up $145,000 for full sister Phillycityhall. While her little sister will not appear on the Ontario Sires Stakes scene for at least two months, Philhallmonic will be looking to get an early jump on the Super Final point race with a strong effort Monday.
Among the fillies Philhallmonic will face in Race 2 are Ja El Ginger, owned by trainer Carl Jamieson of Princeton, Joanne Morrison of Beeton, Karl Ungerman of Toronto and Glengate Farms of Campbellville, who will start from Post 3, and former Gold Final winner Maleficent from Post 5.
Starring in the second elimination are $136,346 winner Lookit from Post 1 and $114,908 winner Gaelic from Post 9. The top five finishers from each elimination will return to Woodbine on Monday, May 23 for the first of five $130,000 Gold Finals on their schedule this season.
Woodbine Racetrack kicks off its 15 event Ontario Sires Stakes season at 7:40 pm on Monday, with the three-year-old trotting fillies taking centre stage in Races 2 and 4.