WINDSOR, ON — Jasper Avenue scored a minor upset in Gold Final action at Windsor Raceway on Saturday evening and rewrote the track and Ontario Sires Stakes record books in the process.
The Village Jasper daughter and driver Paul MacDonell abandoned their usual come-from-behind tactics in favour of an impressive front-end effort that saw them under pressure from favourite Please Me Please for the last half of the mile. Through fractions of :27.1, :56 and 1:23.2 Jasper Avenue refused to relinquish her lead and then dug in down the stretch to score the one length victory in 1:52. Please Me Please held on for second, fending off her stablemate Remember When who picked up the third-place finisher’s share of the $130,000 purse.
Jasper Avenue’s victory shaved one-fifth of a second off the former track and Ontario Sires Stakes record set by Countryview Miss in 2001.
William Loyens of London bred and owns Village Jasper, who is trained by Bill Robinson. The win was the filly’s second Gold Final title and boosted her record to five wins, three seconds and two thirds in 13 starts for earnings of $322,187. The consistent pacer wrapped up her 2003 Gold Series season in third spot in the division standings with 167 points.
Sent off as the fourth choice in the nine filly field, Jasper Avenue repaid her faithful fans $12.60 to win, $3.90 to place and $2.90 to show. Elimination winner and favourite Please Me Please, owned by trainer Bob McIntosh of La Salle, Al McIntosh Holdings Inc. of Leamington and Dwight Stacey of Mitchell, returned $2.30 to place and $2.20 to show, while McIntosh trainee and third choice Remember When paid $3.10 to show. The 2 – 1 exactor was worth $27.10 and the 2 – 1 – 8 triactor returned $106.50.
The division’s top 10 point earners now head to Mohawk Racetrack next Saturday, Nov. 8 to compete in their $300,000 Super Final, part of the $2.4 million Super Final Championship evening at the Campbellville oval.
The Ontario Sires Stakes program wraps up its regular season tomorrow evening (Nov. 2) at Windsor Raceway with a $130,000 Gold Final for the two-year-old pacing colts.