INNISFIL, ON — If Saturday’s three-year-old pacing filly event at Georgian Downs required tickets, the box office would have been sold out within hours of Wednesday’s post position draw as Ontario Sires Stakes fans secured their spot on the rail for Precious Delight’s attempt at win number 14.
Since storming on to the scene in late last summer Precious Delight has reeled off win after win, easily disposing of a talented group of fillies who had been lowering track records since their first OSS event. In addition to conquering all comers on the racetrack the daughter of Precious Bunny and Staying Happy underwent a successful embryo transfer during the off season and, if all goes well, will be a momma before the start of her four-year-old season.
Peter Heffering of Port Perry owns the so-far invincible Precious Delight and trainer Duane Marfisi handles her day-to-day conditioning. The filly will put her unbeaten streak on the line from Post 4 in the tenth race on Saturday night and seven of her peers are anxious to be the one to end her reign.
Among the fillies Precious Delight’s driver Steve Condren will be keeping a close eye on is Miss Frizzle, who will start to his left from Post 2. Trained by last year’s Johnston Cup winning trainer Bob McIntosh, Miss Frizzle has been a contender in every Gold event contested this year.
At Windsor Raceway in May the Camluck filly finished second in her elimination and the Final. In the June event at Woodbine Racetrack she was third to Precious Delight in the elimination and fourth in the Final.
“I have nothing but admiration for Miss Frizzle,” says McIntosh, who shares ownership on the winner of $172,967 with Larry Pollard of Harrow and Dwight Stacey of Mitchell. “She is just a real good race mare who gives 100 per cent all the time. She will be added to the broodmare band someday. She is a gritty, 100 per cent good filly.”
McIntosh would like nothing better than to see Miss Frizzle’s name engraved on the bottom of OSS trophy, but division watchers expect that if Precious Delight goes down in defeat it could be to McIntosh’s other entry, Lady Graceful.
Precious Delight and Lady Graceful have yet to meet up this year. Precious Delight skipped the season opening Gold Event where Lady Graceful swept through her elimination and the $130,00 Final, and Lady Graceful was scratched by the veterinarian out of the June 17 eliminations, a scratch that still raises McIntosh’s ire.
“I sent that filly down there (Woodbine) and she was ready to race. The (Ontario Racing) Commission veterinarian in effect cost us winning our division and getting into the $130,000 Final,” he says. “After he scratched her she trained the next day at the farm and she was perfect.”
As a result of the scratch Lady Graceful was required to re-qualify, which she did on July 2 at Mohawk in 1:54.1, and McIntosh altered her normally light training routine to keep her sharp for Saturday’s Gold event.
“Because he knocked us out of the box for two weeks I had to train her up some,” says the Windsor resident. “We qualified her in 1:54.1 and she was good. She should come back and be good.”
Lady Graceful leads the field for the first division, Race 5 on Georgian Downs’ 7:30 pm program. The Camluck daughter, riding a three win unbeaten streak this season, will start from Post 4.
Joining the division stars at Georgian Downs are three fillies making a move up to the Gold level from the Grassroots. All three have been successful in the Grassroots, but trainer Don LeBlanc admits that is not the only reason Signature Seelster will start from Post 5 in the tenth race.
“The Grassroots was in Sudbury and Barrie was a lot closer, and I’ve never been to Georgian Downs, so we’re going to the dining room and have some fun,” says the Campbellville resident with a laugh. “She’s in over her head, but we’ll hope she can trip out and get a cheque.”
LeBlanc trains the Camluck daughter for WDM Stables of Ancaster and the whole party is looking forward to their visit to the Georgian Downs facility. LeBlanc has fond memories of the old Barrie Raceway and is certain he will find the same atmosphere in the new location.
“We’re looking forward to seeing the Georgian Downs. Everybody I’ve talked to says the facilities are really, really good,” he says. “And the people up there have always been very nice. They always bent over backwards to treat you right.”
Which is good news, because if Precious Delight continues her domination of the division Marfisi and Heffering will have somewhere to celebrate and the owners and trainers of the other 15 fillies will have somewhere to lament their fate in comfort.