REXDALE, ON — Two talented divisions of three-year-old pacing fillies breezed into Woodbine Racetrack on Monday night, and when the dust settled Beryl Seelster and Ingrid Bergrin had claimed the first set of Trillium Series hardware distributed this season.
Beryl Seelster kicked off the impressive showing with a 1:53 come from behind effort for driver Jack Moiseyev. Leaving from Post 5 the Jate Lobell daughter sat sixth through much of the race and then powered down the windswept stretch to claim a head victory over pacesetter Ifyoucouldcwhati C and Helena Handbag.
“She went a big trip,” said Moiseyev from the winner’s circle. “I was a little worried at the head of the stretch with the headwind, making up ground, but she just dug right in.”
A regular bridesmaid against the top fillies in North America last season, Beryl Seelster bumped her lifetime earnings to $149,003 with her second lifetime victory. Trained by Bob McIntosh for Seelster Farms Inc. of Lucan, the filly prepped for Monday’s start with a 1:59.1 qualifying mile at Dresden Raceway on May 15.
“That mile last week in 1:59.1 they say was a pretty good mile, so I was pretty confident going into the race. I just didn’t want to over drive her. It was her first start,” remarked Moiseyev. “Head of the stretch, I was a little leery, but she was still pacing. Half way through (the stretch) I saw that she was gaining pretty quick and we still had a long way to go, so I thought I had a chance of getting there.
“It’s pretty windy through the stretch that’s why the last quarters are going pretty slow. That was a really good mile tonight,” added the veteran reinsman.
Moiseyev did his best to net a second Trillium victory with Angelina Seelster in Race 6, but the headwind caught up to the pacesetter and allowed Ingrid Bergrin to net her third victory of the season.
In rein to the World Driving Championship bound Jody Jamieson, Ingrid Bergrin landed in seventh through the early going and spent the entire mile hovering on the outside near the back of the pack. However, when the fillies turned for home and Jamieson asked the Grinfromeartoear daughter for another gear, she responded with an impressive finishing kick that earned her the three-quarter length 1:52.1 victory over favourite Digga Digga and Serenity Seelster.
“I let her leave out of there, because she likes to leave a little bit. I was surprised how bad she got off the gate. We really didn’t get a good spot,” said Jamieson, who will represent Canada in the World Driving Championship in Italy June 18 to 24. “They started racing and we got out in the outer flow. Down the lane she just responded when I asked her.
“You never know, you have to get lucky and get a good trip and hope they race a little bit and that’s exactly what happened.”
Jamieson’s father Carl trains Ingrid Bergrin at his Princeton facility for partners Jerry Jamieson of Blenheim, Thomas Kyron of Etobicoke and Dr. Robert Boyce of London.
Back in Trillium Series action on July 16 at Kawartha Downs, the Ontario-bred three-year-old pacing fillies can choose between Gold Series Eliminations on June 13 at Woodbine or Grassroots competition June 17 at Grand River Raceway for their next provincial stakes start.
The June 13 event marks the last Ontario Sires Stakes event of the spring for Woodbine Racetrack, with racing shifting to Mohawk Racetrack on June 20 for the summer and early fall.
For complete results go to:
http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/results/data/rwdbsmo.html