WINDSOR, ON — Windsor Raceway fans were treated to an outstanding exhibition of Ontario-bred talent in a trio of Gold Eliminations and one Gold Final on Sunday night.
The three-year-old trotting fillies led off the speed display in the eighth race and Pepi Lavec returned to the Ontario Sires Stakes stage just as powerfully as she left it. The Mr Lavec daughter and regular driver Paul MacDonell wrestled control of the race away from Taylor Seelster just after the quarter mile marker, fended off a challenge from Corinas Mission at the three-quarters and then shifted into second gear and left the field more than three lengths behind at the wire.
Trained by Peterborough’s John Bax for his partners Glengate Farms of Campbellville, Pepi Lavec’s 1:57 victory boosted her lifetime earnings to $623,659 and moved her into first place in the Super Final point race.
Corinas Mission was a solid second while Balance The Paige trotted home to be third in the $101,298 contest. With just one elimination all nine of the fillies earned the right to return to Windsor Raceway next Sunday, Oct. 6, for the $130,000 Gold Final.
Next on the agenda were two Gold Series Eliminations for the electric three-year-old pacing colts and Randy Waples and Dreamfair Vogel lit up the crowd right off the bat with an Ontario Sires Stakes record. In his second start out of the powerful Bill Robinson stable the Village Jiffy son rocketed to the front just past the first quarter and never glanced back, hitting the wire four lengths ahead of the competition in 1:51.3. Local favourite The Cammissioner, owned by trainer Robert McIntosh of Windsor, Michael Kohler of Sterling Heights, MI and Dwight Stacey of Mitchell., closed well to be second and DCs Bunny picked up the final spot in the top three.
John and Mary Lamers of Ingersoll own Dreamfair Vogel, who came into the race off a track record 1:49.4 performance at Mohawk Racetrack on Sept. 14. The win boosted the colt’s 2002 earnings to $114,596 and moved him into a tie for second spot in the division standings with 137 points.
The favourite was also relegated to second in the other pacing colt division as long shot Luckyisasluckydoes stretched his neck in front of Pacific Titan at the wire to record his first Gold Series victory. Shane Weber steered the colt through a gritty trip up the outside and when he asked Luckyisasluckydoes for a final sprint to the wire the Camluck son responded with an impressive burst of speed that earned him the 1:52.3 win over Pacific Titan and Camystic.
Dr. John Hayes of Beamsville trains Luckyisasluckydoes for his partner Ned Gvoich of Beamsville. The colt jumped into the top ten with the win, hovering just above the current cut off with 66 points.
Ontario’s finest two-year-old pacing fillies wrapped up the exceptional evening of harness racing with their second last Gold Final in Race 12 and Northern Harmony continued her domination of the division with a 1:55 triumph from the outside Post 9. The Run The Table lass, who has captured all of her Gold Series starts except for the July 26 Gold Final, took control before the halfway marker and simply coasted home to the three and a half length win.
Elimination winner Please Me Please, who also started from the outside at Post 8, finished second for owners Robert McIntosh Stables Inc. of Windsor, Al McIntosh Holdings Inc. of Leamington and Dwight Stacey of Mitchell and Ascending closed well to finish third.
Gerrie Tucker of Montreal, QC, Sampson Street Stables of Old Forge, PA, Don Bray of Newcastle and Angelo Dinardo of Etobicoke share ownership on the gifted Northern Harmony, who has banked $385,337 on their behalf this season.
All of the three-year-old trotting fillies and the top four finishers, plus one fifth-place finisher drawn by lot, from the three-year-old pacing colt eliminations will return to Windsor on Oct. 6, while the two-year-old pacing fillies make their final Gold Series start on Oct. 28 at Mohawk Racetrack.