WINDSOR, ON — Remember When made her Ontario Sires Stakes debut a victorious one on Saturday evening when she posted an impressive 1:53.3 victory over division leader Burning Point in Gold Elimination action at Windsor Raceway.
After racing on the Grand Circuit for the last two years, the three-year-old pacing filly dropped in to visit her Ontario-sired peers and established herself as one of the heavy hitters for next week’s Gold Final and the Nov. 8 Super Final. In rein to Trevor Ritchie, Remember When allowed Burning Point to set the pace in the $58,844 Elimination, trailing the fan favourite through fractions of :27.1, :57 and 1:25.4, and then poured on the power to nab the victory by a nose.
Third-place finisher Ascending and fourth-place filly Maple Lady also secured a berth in next week’s $130,000 Final, while fifth-place finisher Rhiannon O Rhye will have to wait for the results of next Wednesday’s draw to see if her name will be added to the list of starters.
Sent off as the fans’ second choice in the six horse field, which had no show wagering, Remember When returned $4.70 to win and $2.10 to place and Burning Point paid $2.10 for her place effort. An exactor ticket featuring the favourites was worth $7.70 and adding Ascending to a triactor play boosted the return to $19.80.
La Salle resident Bob McIntosh trains Remember When for owner and breeder Brittany Farms of Versailles, KY. During two years of racing the toughest fillies in North America the Camluck miss has put together a record of 12 wins, three seconds, five thirds and earnings of $1,196,196.
McIntosh was back in the winner’s circle after the second elimination when Please Me Please rocketed around the Windsor oval to a 1:52.3 victory, just two-fifths of a second off the track and Ontario Sires Stakes record over a surface rated one second slower than normal.
With Ritchie in the race bike for the first time, Please Me Please landed in third through the early going and allowed Northern Harmony to clock fractions of :27 and :56.4 before rolling up to take control heading to the 1:24.1 three-quarters. From there Please Me Please simply drew away from the field, reaching the finish two and one-quarter lengths ahead of Jasper Avenue. Nine lengths to the rear Northern Harmony and The Patriot battled to a dead-heat for fourth, while Sharon The Luck was another length back in fifth.
Windsor fans wisely selected Please Me Please as their top choice and the Camluck filly returned $3.30 to win and $2.40 to place. Second choice Jasper Avenue’s steady effort was worth $3.10 to place and the exactor paid $5.20. A triactor ticket with the top two fillies and The Patriot was worth $8.30, while opting for Northern Harmony in the show position netted you $8.50.
Please Me Please has been on a hot streak during the last two months for McIntosh and his partners, and fellow breeders, Al McIntosh Holdings Inc. of Leamington and Dwight Stacey of Mitchell. In her last six starts she has posted three wins and three seconds and appears to be honing her game further heading toward the $300,000 Super Final on Nov. 8.
The top nine fillies from the elimination round will take another shot at Windsor Raceway’s track record next Saturday, Nov. 1 in the last $130,000 Gold Final of their career.