ELORA, ON — Three-year-old pacing filly Tiz To Dream did what she does best at Grand River Raceway on Monday evening and scored her second Gold Final title of the season in the process.
Known for her quick turn of foot off the starting gate, Tiz To Dream was at her hard leaving best on Monday, in spite of sloppy track conditions that had driver Doug McNair looking rather ghostly by the end of the mile. Starting from Post 2 McNair pushed Tiz To Dream hard into the first corner and was able to commandeer control of the race, leaving co-favourite Bay Girl hung out on the outside.
Tiz To Dream rocked around the first turn to a :28.3 opening quarter and then fought off a second challenge from Bay Girl heading by the :58.1 half. With Bay Girl still struggling to gain ground on the outside, Tiz To Dream sailed along to a 1:27.2 three-quarters and then kicked home to a two and one-quarter length victory in 1:57.1 over a track rated three seconds slower than normal.
FBs Terror and driver Tony Kerwood stalked Tiz To Dream and McNair from the start and hit the wire in second spot, while Randy Waples sent Putnam Mackenzie out three-wide through the last quarter to take the third-place finisher’s share of the rich $170,000 purse. Ice Ice Baby finished fourth and Bay Girl earned the final cheque from fifth.
McNair engineered the victory for his father, trainer Gregg McNair, and Paul Kidd, who both make their home in Guelph, ON. The win was Tiz To Dream’s sixth in a season that has also seen her post two seconds and two thirds in 13 starts. The lucrative pay day boosted the Grinfromeartoear daughter’s sophomore bank roll to $319,525, just over the $313,417 she earned as a freshman.
Already atop the division standings heading into Monday’s Gold Final, Tiz To Dream now has a stranglehold on the lead with 237 points and will be hoping to match or better the third-place finish she delivered in the $300,000 Super Final as a two-year-old.
The win will also boost Guelph native Doug McNair’s point tally in the driver’s standings. The 20-year-old reinsman is in a fierce battle with Scott Zeron for the Lampman Cup title, awarded annually to the top driver in the Ontario Sires Stakes program. Heading into Monday’s contest McNair had a one point lead over Zeron, with 297 points to Zeron’s 296. Arthur, ON resident, and two-time Lampman Cup winner Trevor Henry sits third in the standings with 270 points.
Monday’s thrilling performance by Tiz To Dream lowered the curtain on Grand River Raceway’s 2010 Ontario Sires Stakes season, which saw the Elora oval host three Gold Series events and four Grassroots battles.
For complete results please go to: Grand River Raceway Results — Sept. 27, 2010