WINDSOR, ON — Peaceful Way’s performance in Sunday’s Gold Final at Windsor Raceway belied the filly’s tender age and limited experience on the racetrack. The freshman trotting lass toiled on the outside through the entire mile like a seasoned veteran and then easily disposed of her peers through the stretch to score her fourth straight victory.
Leaving from Post 8 for the second straight week, driver Chris Christoforou floated Peaceful Way off the gate and landed in fifth spot on the outside. Through fractions of :28.4, 1:00 and 1:28.4 Christoforou and the Angus Hall daughter made their way steadily toward the front and were just a half length behind pacesetter Miss Michelle H as the field turned for home.
In spite of her long journey around Windsor’s five-eighths mile oval, when Christoforou shifted the filly into overdrive Peaceful Way simply sprinted away from the competition to score the 1:59 victory. Miss Michelle H earned second-place honours, two lengths behind the winner, while Yankee Dakota narrowly edged Meadowview Marion to pick up the third-place share of the $130,000 purse.
Owned by trainer Dave Tingley of Guelph, breeder Angie Stiller of Arva, Barbara Myers of Holland, PA and Joseph Myers of Jamesville, VA, Peaceful Way has been flawless since finishing third in her debut in the Sept. 2 Champlain Stakes at Mohawk Racetrack. In addition to Sunday’s victory her resume boasts last week’s Gold Elimination and the elimination and final of the Oakville Stakes at Mohawk. Ontario Sires Stakes fans can catch the filly again in the last Gold Series event of the season on Oct. 24 at Mohawk Racetrack.
In addition to the talented two-year-old trotting fillies, Windsor Raceway hosted three Gold Eliminations for the exciting three-year-old pacing colts, which featured impressive front-end performances by all three winners.
Ron Pierce and Stonebridge Premio opened the Gold Series show with a 1:53.3 victory for trainer Brett Pelling and owner Robert Waxman of Ancaster. The Camluck son cruised unchallenged to the one length victory over Everton and Boulder Creek, his first since capturing the Confederation Cup in straight heats on Aug. 17.
In the second elimination last year’s division leader Sir Luck showed signs of his two-year-old form with a wire-to-wire victory in 1:53. With regular driver Mike Saftic engaged in Ontario Sires Stakes action in Ottawa, Reg Gassien picked up the lines on the Camluck colt and engineered the pacer’s second victory of the season, the first coming four months ago in the May 29 Gold Final. Bill Budd trains Sir Luck for C And I Siegel Racing Stable Ltd. of Brooklyn, NY, who banked $1.1 million on the colt’s behalf last season.
Dreamfair Titan and Border Patrol earned the second and third-place finisher’s share of the $43,374 purse, while local favourite Make It Brief could only manage a fifth-place finish.
The final elimination went to Armbro Acquire and Phil Hudon, who tripped the Windsor teletimer at 1:54, four and a half lengths up on Winning Breed and Jimmy Crack Cohen. Bruce MacDonald trains the Rustler Hanover son for Mardon Stables of Loretto and Daniel MacIsaac of Charlottetown, PEI.
The top three finishers from each Gold Elimination will return to Windsor Raceway next Sunday, Oct. 5 for the second last $130,000 Gold Final of their Ontario Sires Stakes careers.