GLOUCESTER, ON — Fans playing lucky number seven at Rideau Carleton Raceway on Sunday evening hit the jackpot in both two-year-old pacing filly Trillium Series divisions, as the winners scored upsets from Post 7.
Hangin By A Moment came up with an impressive effort in the first division to record the most significant upset of the evening. Using a come-from-behind tactic the Rustler Hanover daughter and trainer-driver Carl Jamieson reeled in pacesetter Wipethatsmerkoff through the stretch and were able to hold off a late charge from Dreamcometrue to score the 1:59.3 victory.
Sent off as the fans’ eighth choice in the nine horse field, Hangin By A Moment returned a whopping $73.30 on a win wager, $19.50 for a place voucher and $9.80 to show. Sixth choice Dreamcometrue returned $17.10 to place and $10.70 to show while local filly Wipethatsmerkoff, owned by C M T Farms of Arnprior and Bad Plus Stable of Greely, paid a modest $2.60 for her third-place effort. The exactor returned $417.90 and those holding a 7 – 3 – 5 triactor ticket smiled all the way home with their $2,811.90 pay out. Favourite Da Bunnie Wabbit made an early break and was never a factor.
Jamieson, who resides in Princeton, and Karl Ungerman of Toronto share ownership on Hangin By A Moment, who boosted her earnings to $25,595 with her first win of the season. The filly’s best finish prior to Sunday evening’s triumph was a second-place effort in the Aug. 2 Grassroots event at Woodstock Raceway.
Sent off as the fans’ second choice, One Hot Beach’s victory was not as dramatic, but was equally impressive as the filly fought off favourite Tosexyforthedriver down the stretch to record the 1:59 victory by one length.
Richard McNeill trains and drives One Hot Beach, and he wasted no time sending the Jennas Beach Boy filly after the lead on Sunday. Moving on the outside at the :27.2 quarter mile marker, One Hot Beach had gained control before the :57.1 half and easily maintained her lead through the 1:27 three-quarters. Tosexyforthedriver settled for second and Leslies Star nailed down the third-place finisher’s share of the $40,770 purse.
Brantford resident McNeill shares ownership on One Hot Beach with fellow breeders Janet Vallecoccia of Milton and Dale McNeill of Campbellville. The filly improved her record to two wins and one third through four starts this season for earnings of $25,245.
The two-year-old pacing fillies have one Trillium skirmish remaining on their 2003 schedule, Oct. 3 at Flamboro Downs. Until then the Ontario-sired members of the field will compete in the Grassroots wild card Sept. 1 at Quinte Raceway and Gold Series action Sept. 19 at Flamboro Downs, while the American-bred fillies head south of the border for stakes engagements.
Ontario Sires Stakes excitement returns to Rideau Carleton Raceway on Friday, Sept. 26 with Grassroots divisions for the three-year-old trotting colts.