LONDON, ON — Local fillies earned starring roles in Friday evening’s Trillium Series at Western Fair Raceway as Trace Of Luck and Borderlinegorgious emerged victorious over a racetrack rated two seconds slower than normal.
In the first Trillium Series division fan favourite Helena Handbag leapt out to an early lead from Post 1, taking the two-year-old pacing fillies through fractions of :28.3, :58.3 and 1:28.2. Sitting comfortably on the rail in second, Trace Of Luck and driver Michael Horner were content to let Helena Handbag do all the hard work on the front end over the heavy track.
As the fillies turned for home Trace Of Luck was one and three-quarter lengths back, but when Horner shifted the Northern Luck daughter into gear she responded with an impressive sprint down the stretch to earn the head victory over Lucky Angel in 1:59.3. Northern Diligence closed hard to earn the third-place finisher’s share of the $37,939 purse.
The win maintained Trace Of Luck’s unbeaten streak through four starts and tripled the filly’s earnings to $27,869. Trainer Mark Horner and Susan McNeight of St. Marys and Dennis Fairall of Windsor acquired the half sister to $250,000-plus winners Eva Marie Semalu and Ritchies Imperial for just $9,000 US at last fall’s Kentucky Standardbred Yearling Sale.
Fans who were impressed by the filly’s three race win streak heading into Friday’s Trillium event earned $6.00 on a win ticket, $4.90 to place and $3.20 for a show voucher. Fourth choice Lucky Angel returned $5.20 to place and $3.90 to show while longshot Northern Diligence paid $9.00 to show. An exactor combining Northern Luck daughters Trace Of Luck and Lucky Angel returned $60.90 and adding Northern Diligence into the triactor earned fans a hearty $1,857.00.
In the second Trillium Series division Borderlinegorgious confirmed her status as a favourite in next week’s Grassroots Semifinals with an impressive one length win over Grassroots rival Witness To Fame and Gold Series regular Babyremembermyname.
Leaving from Post 2, veteran reinsman Dave “Mr. OSS” Wall allowed heavy favourite Babyremembermyname to claim the early lead and post opening fractions of :28.2 and :58.4. Heading toward the 1:28.1 three-quarters Wall sent Borderlinegorgious after the lead and the Rambaran daughter responded with an impressive effort that saw her draw away from the field around the last turn. The filly cruised under the wire in a personal best 1:59 to claim her fifth victory of the season through 13 starts.
Dean Wall trains Borderlinegorgious for his parents Dave and Cheryl’s Wall Tyme Farm Inc. of Komoka and hopes the homebred can extend her win streak to three in the Oct. 28 Grassroots Semifinal at Hiawatha Horse Park.
Borderlinegorgious returned $9.70, $3.80 and $2.90 for her winning effort, Witness To Fame’s runner-up score was worth $4.00 and $2.30 and Babyremembermyname’s supporters banked $2.40 on a show ticket. The exactor returned $40.00 and the triactor paid $64.20.
The top Grassroots fillies now head to Hiawatha Horse Park on Oct. 28 for Grassroots Semifinal action, while the Gold fillies return to action at Windsor Raceway on Oct. 29. Ontario Sires Stakes excitement returns to Western Fair Raceway on Saturday, Oct. 30 in the shape of Gold Series Eliminations for the two-year-old trotting fillies.