GLOUCESTER, ON — Taking full advantage of her improved post position, three-year-old pacing filly Lady D M powered to a 1:54.3 victory in Sunday night’s $130,000 Gold Final at Rideau Carleton Raceway.
An impressive second from Post 8 in last weekend’s elimination round, Lady D M and driver Ross Battin lined up four spots closer to the rail in Sunday’s lucrative Final. Powering off the starting gate the pair quickly wrested control of the pace away from local favourite Serenity Seelster and then blazed the trail all the way to the winner’s circle.
Fannies Fortune overcame an early miscue to pick up the second-place finisher’s spoils and elimination winner Trace Of Luck settled for third out of Post 7. KG Delight finished fourth and Serenity Seelster, owned by trainer John MacMillan of Spencerville, Glenn Bechtel of Kingston and Garth Bechtel of Caledon Village, earned the last Ontario Sires Stakes pay cheque with her fifth-place effort.
The 1:54.3 mile matched the fastest elimination clocking over a Rideau Carleton surface that was once again rated one second slower than normal due to the wet weather.
Owned by Parkinson Farms of Lucan and trained by Lucan resident Andy Hardy, Lady D M is no stranger to the winner’s circle. The D M Dilinger daughter captured her first five lifetime starts at Western Fair Raceway between Nov. 6, 2004 and Jan. 7, 2005. Second to Serenity Seelster in the elimination and Final of the Miss Vera Bars Pacing Series, Lady D M earned her first victory at Woodbine Racetrack in a Mar. 14 leg of the Silver Reign Series and then captured the Final on Mar. 28 before taking a well earned rest to gear up for the Ontario Sires Stakes season.
A pair of solid qualifiers over Western Fair in early May proved that the filly had lost none of her lustre, and last week’s runner-up finish to Trace Of Luck from Post 8 was enough to convince Rideau Carleton handicappers that Lady D M was the one to beat in Sunday night’s Gold Final.
Sent off as the fan favourite, Lady D M returned $5.40 to win, $4.80 on a place wager and $2.60 for each show ticket. Fannies Fortune went off as the fan’s fourth choice and delivered a $3.90 place pay out and a $2.50 show dividend, while second choice Trace Of Luck’s third-place effort was worth $3.40. The exactor was worth $18.10 and a 4 – 2 – 7 triactor play earned fans $72.00.
Lady D M will have an opportunity to defend her title on June 13 at Woodbine Racetrack when the fiercely competitive sophomore pacing fillies return to Gold Series action.
Ontario Sires Stakes excitement is back in Gloucester on July 10 when Rideau Carleton Raceway plays host to the highly talented three-year-old trotting colts in their third Gold event of the season.