WINDSOR, ON — Windsor Raceway features a star-studded night of Ontario Sires Stakes racing on Saturday as the gifted two-year-old pacing fillies and the lightning fast three-year-old pacing colts converge on the border oval for Gold Series Elimination action.
Making her debut at the Gold Series level is Trace Of Luck, owned by Dennis Fairall of Windsor and trainer Mark Horner and Susan McNeight of St. Mary’s. The Northern Luck daughter heads into the $55,230 elimination on a four race win streak with her most recent victory coming in a Trillium Series division at Western Fair Raceway on Oct. 22.
“Mike (Horner) was really happy with the way she raced,” says Mark Horner. “I haven’t seen her race yet, I’ve had to be in Toronto every time she’s raced so far, but apparently she had lots left.”
Trace Of Luck stopped the clock in 1:59.3, getting a head in front of Gold Series regular Lucky Angel, over a heavy track rated two seconds slower than normal. One week earlier she scored her personal best 1:58.1 in an overnight event at Hiawatha Horse Park, cruising home more than five lengths ahead of the field from Post 8.
“We knew really early she was all right,” says Horner, who offered up $9,000 US for the filly at last fall’s Kentucky Standardbred Yearling Sale. “She was all racehorse — good gaited, good mannered, great attitude. She had no trouble doing anything we asked.”
Horner intended to make an earlier start in the provincial program with the filly, but just prior to the season opening Grassroots event on July 3 Trace Of Luck developed signs of lameness and further examination revealed a bone chip in her left ankle.
“She had surgery and they took it out and she came back really good from the surgery,” says the trainer. “She recovered really well.”
Trace Of Luck qualified for the second time on Sept. 28 and has been flawless since her Oct. 2 racing debut. On Saturday she and driver Mike Horner will tackle the Gold Series fillies from Post 7 in the eighth race and they face formidable competition in the shape of division leader Lucks Mistress from Post 1.
“You can’t leave from there (Post 7), so unfortunately it looks like we’re going to have to try and work out some kind of trip,” says Horner. “It might work out if anybody takes them to the half a little bit. There’s a lot of inside speed.”
The freshman fillies battle for a top four finish in the fourth and eighth races on Saturday, with the three-year-old pacing colts stepping into the ring in Races 6 and 10.
Geartogear, reigning Gold Final champion and the third-place finisher in the Oct. 23 Breeders Crown, highlights the pacing colt event. The Grinfromeartoear son will start from Post 2 in the sixth race for trainer Nat Varty and owners Perfect World Enterprises from Old Westbury, NY.
Among the colts looking to give Geartogear a run for his money is Ontario Sires Stakes record holder Armbro Balmoral. The Camluck gelding and driver Mario Baillargeon will start from Post 4 for trainer Ben Wallace and owner Barnett Zimmerman LLC of Deerfield, IL.
Nine fillies and colts will advance to their respective $100,000 Gold Finals, with the top four finishers from each elimination and one fifth-place finisher selected by random draw earning an invitation to next Saturday’s battle.