from WEG media

Toronto, ON — Woodbine Racetrack presented its first program of the New Year on Monday evening (Jan. 3), and 4-year-old trotting mares were in the spotlight as they battled in a set of C$25,000 eliminations for the Lifetime Dream Stakes.

PJ’s Photo was a 1:56.1 winner in the opening elimination.

PJ’s Photo ($5.20) took the opening split for the tandem of driver Paul MacDonell and trainer Daren Harvey, and she was impressive. The streaking daughter of S J’s Photo-Big Kora toted a four-race winning streak into her elimination, and her off-the-pace skills helped push the streak to five.

Sparkle Hall took early command in the seven-horse affair, and she led the field past the quarter pole in :28.3 before giving way to Jettalady shortly after the half-mile marker flashed up in :58.2. Jettalady enjoyed a big lead at the three-quarter pole in 1:26.3, but it wasn’t big enough. PJ’s Photo, who was still sitting sixth with two furlongs left on the table, powered home in a :28 second clip en route to winning by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:56.1. Jettalady held on for the runner-up award, and third prize was earned by odds-on favorite Miss Dangles.

Sent off as the 8-5 second choice in the wagering, PJ’s Photo won for the seventh time in her career for owner Pius Soehnlen of Canton, Ohio. The shipper from The Meadows assembled a 6-2-1 record from just 11 racing opportunities during the 2010 season. The lion’s share of the purse lifted her lifetime earnings to C$47,563.

Photo Credit

Croquet Style lowered her mark to 1:55.2 in the second elimination.

Croquet Style ($7.00) used a similar come-from-behind approach to win the second elimination in a career-best clocking of 1:55.2 for driver Jason Brewer and trainer Anette Lorentzon.

Croquet Style got away sixth in the seven-mare affair, while Girls Willb Girls led the field through early fractions of :27.4 and :57.3 before feeling stern pressure around the final turn. Race favorite Classic Alana applied the heat on the leader, and she showed a short lead at the three-quarter pole in 1:26.2. Croquet Style, who was still sitting sixth at that point, got her motor running and sprinted home in :27.4 to win by a head over Classic Alana. Longshot Keystone Ballerina was a distant third.

ACL Stuteri AB of Paris, Ky. owns the daughter of Yankee Glide-Glamour Shot, who put together a 1-1-1 record from 11 starts during her sophomore season.

The top five finishers from each of Monday’s eliminations advance to the C$60,000 final of the Lifetime Dream Stakes, which goes postward next Monday evening (Jan. 10) at Woodbine Racetrack. Here’s how they’ll line up on the starting gate: 1. Miss Dangles; 2. R Tonys Girl; 3. Croquet Style; 4. PJ’s Photo; 5. Sparkle Hall; 6. Classic Alana; 7. Jettalady; 8. Scottish Starlet; 9. Keystone Ballerina; and
10. Gliding Fashion.