DUNDAS, ON — At the start of the Gold Series season trainer John Bax knew Charmed Life had the size and strength to be a contender on the two-year-old trotting filly circuit, what he did not know was whether she had enough speed.
The daughter of Majestic Son and Christina M put that question to rest on Sunday night when she rocketed around the Flamboro Downs oval — leading from start to finish — in an Ontario Sires Stakes record equaling 1:59.3 over a track rated one second slower than normal.
Starting from Post 5 with two Gold Elimination winners lined up to his right, Angies Lucky Star at Post 7 and Bee A Magician at Post 8, and defending Gold Final champion Legzy tucked into the trailing Post 9, driver Paul MacDonell opted to hit the gas early. Charmed Life powered away from the starting gate to a :29.2 quarter, opening up a two length gap between her and the rest of the field.
The gap widened to three lengths on the way to the 1:00.1 half, and then fan favourite Legzy started up the outside. The fillies battled from the 1:29.4 three-quarters to the wire, with Bee A Magician joining the fray in the stretch, but Charmed Life refused to yield and her strength carried her to a nose decision. Bee A Magician edged out Legzy for second, but less than a length separated the top three finishers. The mile matched the 1:59.3 Ontario Sires Stakes and Flamboro Downs record set in 2005 by Birminghim, who went on to earnings of $791,084 in her career.
Motown Muscle took home the fourth-place finisher’s share of the $130,000 Gold Final purse and Brenway Dixie, owned by Terry Hunter of Cambridge, picked up the final pay cheque when she crossed the wire three and one-quarter lengths back in fifth.
Peterborough resident Bax shares ownership of Charmed Life with Goin To The Show Stable of Peterborough, Dale Debnam of Lindsay and John Houston of Cobourg. The partners purchased the filly at last fall’s Canadian Yearling Sale, offering up $15,000 for the then hefty youngster.
A slimmed down Charmed Life made her Ontario Sires Stakes debut at Kawartha Downs in the June 28 Gold Series season opener, finishing third in her elimination from Post 7, but failing to earn a spot in the July 5 final. In last week’s elimination at Flamboro, she finished second to Brenway Dixie with a steady 2:01.4 effort from Post 3. The filly has earned $79,800 for her owners through those three starts.
Charmed Life will have an opportunity to defend her Gold Final title when the talented two-year-old trotting fillies gather at Mohawk Racetrack on August 2 for the third event on their calendar.
Ontario Sires Stakes action returns to Flamboro Downs on Sunday, Aug. 5 with Gold Eliminations for both the three-year-old trotting colt and fillies, with the final of those events to be raced on the track’s popular Confederation Cup program Sunday, Aug. 12.
For complete results please go to Flamboro Downs Results — July 22, 2012