INNISFIL, ON — Trainer Dave Menary and driver Randy Waples scored a Gold Elimination triple at Georgian Downs on Saturday evening, capturing one two-year-old pacing colt division and both of the freshman pacing filly splits.
The pair kicked things off in the first $40,000 elimination when former Gold Final champ Windsong Jack cruised along on the front end to a five and one-half length victory in a personal best 1:53.3. F Twenty Two and Champagne Phil, who is owned by ICR Racing of Pefferlaw, completed the top three, while Glammit and Just Henry rounded out the money earners in fourth and fifth.
Larry Menary of Cheltenham, Kenneth Ewen of Georgetown, Denis Breton of Welland and Geoffrey Lyons Mound of Burford share ownership of Windsong Jack. The win was the Santanna Blue Chip gelding’s fourth in nine starts and boosted his earnings to $196,500.
Waples will send Windsong Jack after his second Gold Final title from Post 5 in next Saturday’s $130,000 contest.
Two races later Menary and Waples were reunited in the winner’s circle when pacing filly Macharoundtheclock delivered an impressive effort from Post 8, rocketing to the front and controlling all the fractions on the way to a 1:53.4 win. Fan favourite Kims Royal Day did her best to reel in the pacesetter, but had to settle for second, two and one-half lengths back. Eloge was four more lengths back in third, just ahead of My Sweet Mandy and Maratoga.
Father and son Larry and Dave Menary share ownership of Macharoundtheclock with Kenneth Ewen and Denis Breton. The win was the Mach Three daughter’s first in Ontario Sires Stakes action and her second in nine starts this season. Her only other victory came in the $150,000 Battle of the Belles Final at Grand River Raceway on Aug. 6.
Macharoundtheclock will make her bid for a third victory from Post 4 in the Oct. 13 Gold Final.
Based on the results from the first two eliminations Georgian Downs fans sent Menary entry Tarpon Hanover off as their top choice in the second pacing colt Gold Elimination, but the colt stalled in his bid to track down pacesetter Mach Pride, and pocket sitter Duc Dorleans was able to edge out and claim a half length victory.
Duc Dorleans stopped the teletimer at 1:53.4, a personal best for the Shanghai Phil gelding. OK Fantastic stormed home from the back of the five horse field to claim second-place honours for owners Mardon Stables of Loretto and Carlo Rovella of Toronto, leaving pacesetter Mach Pride to settle for third and favourite Tarpon Hanover in fourth. Windsong Joker finished fifth.
Regular reinsman Stephane Brosseau piloted Duc Dorleans to the win for trainer Jacques Dupoint and owners Les Ecuries Dorleans Inc. of Repentigny, QC and Gestion C. Levesque 2005Inc. of Saint-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, QC. Through 10 starts the gelding has posted an impressive record of seven wins and two seconds for earnings of $93,850.
Saturday’s outing was Duc Dorleans’ first in the Gold Series. The gelding captured three regular season Grassroots events and finished second in the $100,000 championship at Grand River Raceway on Sept. 29. Brosseau will steer him after a second Gold Series win from Post 4 in next week’s final.
Menary and Waples regained their winning touch in the evening’s last Gold Elimination, and the driver once again opted to do his work on the front end.
Starting from Post 6, Adventurepan landed fourth in the early going, four lengths behind pacesetter Burlesque, but Waples quickly had the filly driving toward the leader and was on top by just over one length at the :56.3 half. Adventurepan maintained a comfortable lead through the 1:25.2 three-quarters and then dug in through the stretch to score a half length victory in 1:55.2.
Raise Your Glass did her best to reel in the leader for Michael Timpano of Phelpston and Anthony Monica of Howell, NJ, sprinting by Burlesque in the stretch. Keep The Dream paced into fourth, while fan favourite Right On Molly was four and three-quarter lengths back in fifth.
Menary conditions Adventurepan for owner-breeder Peter Pan Stables Inc. of Pepper Pike, OH. Through seven starts the Mach Three daughter has posted two wins, one second and two thirds for earnings of $81,200. Saturday’s start was the filly’s first since an Aug. 18 Eternal Camnation division at Mohawk Racetrack.
Waples will have to flip a coin between Adventurepan, who will start from Post 6, and Macharoundtheclock in the pacing filly Gold Final. The complete fields for the last two-year-old pacing filly and pacing colt Gold Finals of the season are as follows:
Two-Year-Old Filly Pace Gold Final — Saturday, Oct. 13 at Georgian Downs
Post 1 Kims Royal Day
Post 2 Eloge
Post 3 Keep The Dream
Post 4 Macharoundtheclock
Post 5 Right On Molly
Post 6 Adventurepan
Post 7 Burlesque
Post 8 My Sweet Mandy
Post 9 Raise Your Glass
Also Eligible 1 Maratoga
Two-Year-Old Colt Pace Gold Final — Saturday, Oct. 13 at Georgian Downs
Post 1 OK Fantastic
Post 2 Just Henry
Post 3 Mach Pride
Post 4 Duc Dorleans
Post 5 Windsong Jack
Post 6 Tarpon Hanover
Post 7 F Twenty Two
Post 8 Glammit
Post 9 Champagne Phil
Also Eligible 1 Windsong Joker
For complete results please go to Georgian Downs Results — October 6, 2012