DUNDAS, ON — Precious Delight looked like the million dollar filly she is winning her Gold Series Elimination at Flamboro Downs on Saturday afternoon in track and Ontario Sires Stakes record time.
The Precious Bunny daughter and driver Mike Saftic led from wire-to-wire, reeling off fractions of :27, :57.1 and 1:26 en route to the record setting 1:53.3 victory. The former record was a 1:54.1 mile delivered by former OSS star Classic Wish in 1993.
Precious Delight hit the wire two and a quarter lengths ahead of Go Alberta Go and Nicki Newton to record her seventh win in 11 starts this season and maintain her perfect record in Ontario Sires Stakes action. The filly’s only losses, a total of four lifetime, came in stakes competition against the best sophomore distaffers in North America this summer.
Breeder Peter Heffering of Port Perry owns Precious Delight, who bumped her lifetime earnings to $1,159,653 with the win, and Guelph resident Duane Marfisi handles her conditioning.
Fourth-place finisher Bailey Bug also advanced to next Saturday’s $130,000 Gold Final, the last event on the three-year-old pacing fillies’ regular season schedule.
Four races later division leader Lady Graceful eked out her fourth OSS win of the season, catching up to pacesetter Sarahs Sequel in the final strides to post the 1:55.2 win. Imoutahere finished third and Oven Mitt also advanced to the lucrative Final with her fourth-place showing.
Robert McIntosh of Windsor trains Lady Graceful for Robert Waxman of Ancaster and the two have had more than one opportunity to stand in the winner’s circle this season with the Camluck miss. In addition to three Gold Series Eliminations and one Gold Final, Lady Graceful captured a division of the Shady Daisy Stake at Freehold Raceway on Sept. 2 and a division of the Scarlett O’Hara at Scioto Downs on May 31.
Chris Christoforou piloted Lady Graceful to Saturday’s win, which boosted her lifetime earnings to $959,222 and maintained her 25 point lead atop the division standings.
The top four finishers from Saturday’s elimination round will return to Flamboro Downs in seven days for their final run at a $130,000 Gold Final. From there the top 10 point earners will be rested and prepared for the $300,000 Super Final at Mohawk Racetrack on Nov. 16.