REXDALE, ON — Invitro scored her sixth straight victory capturing her Gold Series Elimination at Woodbine Racetrack on Saturday evening, stopping the clock in 1:50.4, just one-fifth of a second shy of the Ontario Sires Stakes record for three-year-old pacing fillies.
The Camluck daughter and regular reinsman Paul MacDonell have been indomitable through the last seven weeks, rolling to victory after victory in increasingly fast times and by an average margin of two and a half lengths. Saturday night’s triumph was no different as Invitro took command of the race just past the :26.3 opening quarter posted by Manhattan Killean, rolled through a :55 half and a 1:24 three-quarters and then laid down a scorching :26.4 final quarter to score the two and one quarter length win over Taylor Lynne and Armbro Berlin.
Gordon Irwin of Cobourg trains Invitro for his partner Murray Ross of Norwood. The pair also bred the filly, who was conceived by in vitro fertilization and carried by a surrogate mare while her mother, Keystone Trinidad, continued to race.
Invitro came into Saturday’s $59,346 test off a stakes record in the Canadian Breeders Championship that saw her stop the Woodbine teletimer in 1:50.3 and Woodbine fans were so confident of her prospects that no show wagering was permitted on the elimination.
As a result two dollars wagered on Invitro netted fans $2.20 to win and $2.10 to place, while second choice Taylor Lynne paid $3.50 to place. The exactor was worth $6.50 and the triactor $28.30.
The second elimination went to Double The Fun, who scored the 1:51.3 win over favourite Illusionist by one-quarter length, with Double Creme rounding out the top three.
Double The Fun was making her third start in the Gold Series for trainer Scott Forbes and owners Perfect World Enterprises of Old Westbury, NY. The Grinfromeartoear daughter captured her elimination in the June 14 Gold event at Woodbine and finished fourth in the July 21 Final. Since then she has battled in the Town Pro Series at Woodbine and the Tarport Hap and Mistletoe Shalee Stakes at The Meadowlands in New Jersey.
Woodbine fans sent Double The Fun off as their fifth choice in the six horse field and the filly rewarded her supporters handsomely with $21.20, $6.40 and $2.90 pay outs on each win, place and show wager. Favourite Illusionist returned $3.00 to place and $2.30 to show, while second choice Armbro Berlin’s third-place effort was worth $2.30. The exactor returned $62.80 and the 2, 4, 3, triactor combination was worth $164.30.
In addition to the top three finishers from each elimination, fourth-place finishers Late Night Babe and Serious Comfort and fifth-place finishers Converging Spirit and Special Magic will return to Woodbine Racetrack next Saturday, Aug. 14 for their fourth $130,000 Gold Final.