REXDALE, ON — Northern Harmony declared herself the diva of the Ontario-sired two-year-old pacing filly ranks when she captured the $130,000 Gold Series Final at Woodbine Racetrack on Monday.
With Randy Waples opting to drive the favoured Town Jiffy, Paul MacDonell handled the lines on Northern Harmony and employed a new tactic to earn the Run The Table daughter her third straight victory. Leaving from Post 6 the duo landed in second behind Warrawee Emma where they sat through the :27.3 opening quarter. Heading for the halfway marker MacDonell decided to take command of the pace and the pair were in control the rest of the way, rolling through fractions of :56.3 and 1:25.4 en route to the snappy 1:54.4 victory.
“She felt really good in the hole so I decided to move her when I did and she got the front easy,” said MacDonell, who has just returned from a week’s holiday in Eastern Canada where he attended his brother’s wedding. “She’s got that Run The Table mentality, they go as much as they have to go. She paced right through to the wire and never let up.”
Tribute To Heroes pushed Northern Harmony down the stretch, but the winner maintained a half length margin at the wire, with The Patriot two lengths back in third.
Gerrie Tucker of Montreal, Sampson Street Stable of Old Forge, PA, Don Bray of Newcastle and Angelo Dinardo of Etobicoke own Northern Harmony, who has earned $86,315 in three starts.
Former trainer Murray Brethour selected the $22,000 yearling at the Forest City Sale last year, but he and Murray Shapley of Richmond Hill decided to opt out of their shares just before last week’s Elimination. Bray and Dinardo decided to stick with the talented pacer and embraced their new partners’ idea to send Northern Harmony to trainer Bill Robinson of Hagersville.
With Robinson’s other starter and the favourite, Town Jiffy, finishing ninth fans enjoyed a healthy return on the fifth race. Northern Harmony paid $6.80 to win, $4.30 to place and $3.70 to show. Having Tribute To Heroes on your ticket netted $8.60 and $5.60 and The Patriot’s third-place result was worth $5.10. The Exactor of Northern Harmony and Tribute To Heroes paid $55.40 and adding The Patriot bumped the triactor up to $269.60. But the ticket to hold was the supefecta combination of 6 – 7 – 10 and 9 which landed ticket holders with a $4,304.25 pay day.
In the second race the fillies who did not qualify for the $130,000 Gold Final squared off in a $30,000 Gold Series Consolation with favourite Walltowall Hanover prevailing in 1:56.4.
The Rustler Hanover daughter and driver Chris Christoforou left the gate from Post 3 and sat off the pace for the first half before starting a drive up the outside that landed them on the lead before the three-quarters. Runner-up Putnam Kelly pushed the pace through the final stages, but could not get past Walltowall Hanover, who hung on for the nose victory. The rest of the field finished well back, with Dilemma crossing the wire in third, six and a quarter lengths to the rear.
The freshman fillies will make their next Gold Series start at Rideau Carleton Raceway on July 19 while Ontario Sires Stakes excitement returns to Woodbine Racetrack on Thursday when the very impressive two-year-old pacing colts head for the seven-eighths mile oval and their second Gold Series Eliminations.