by Jeff Renton, media/communications, the Woodbine Entertainment Group

CAMPBELLVILLE, September 10, 2005 – Ken Warkentin and Stormont Welldone captured their respective divisions of the Simcoe Stakes, for three-year-old trotters, Friday evening over the Mohawk oval. In the opening C$134,152 split, Ken Warkentin, a 2004 WEG and O’Brien Award recipient, came from off the pace to tally a 1¼-length victory in 1:56 while in rein to his trainer, Jimmy Takter.

Racing for New Jersey’s Christina Takter, Ontario’s John Fielding and Tie Domi and Sweden’s Windsor Stable, the son of Yankee Glide was seven lengths back in sixth at the :27.4. Going first-up in the second panel, Ken Warkentin ($3.20, $3.20, $2.30) cleared to the lead after the 58-second half-mile, clicked off the third call in 1:27.1 and came home with a :28.4 final quarter-mile.

With driver Steve Condren in tow, Sir Perseverance ($5.70, $3.70) closed from seventh at the three-quarter pole to finish second, completing the $19.20 exactor. Driven by Bill O’Donnell, Last Flight Out ($7.10), who cut the opening half-mile, finished three lengths back in third, bottoming the $213.30 triactor.

“He’s had a little bit of bad luck this year,” said Jimmy Takter, during a post-race interview with Woodbine Entertainment’s Ken Middleton. “He had a foot that bothered him, and in the Yonkers Trot he got a bad quarter crack. He raced a little flat today. He won the race, but he’s got to pick it up a little bit for next week [eliminations for the Canadian Trotting Classic, September 17 at Mohawk].

“We haven’t been able to train him for three weeks, so I expected him to be quite short, but hopefully this mile tightened him up a little bit.”

With the win, Ken Warkentin increased his 2005 bankroll to $145,807 and the bay now has a seasonal record of 4-1-1 from eight starts.

The victory marked the 12th of Ken Warkentin’s career and the colt now has $789,047 in overall purses.

In the C$134,153 second division, Stormont Welldone ($12.20, $3.70, $2.70) and driver Luc Ouellette sat second along the cones for the majority of their trip before tipping three-wide in the lane to post a half-length tally in a mark-equaling 1:54.4 for trainer Norm Jones.

Good To Be King and driver Paul MacDonell cut the fractions in :28.3, :57.4 and 1:26.4 before fading to sixth at the wire.

After coming first-over from fourth on the final turn, Northern Ensign ($2.50, $2.10) and driver John Campbell finished second, sealing the $29.00 exactor. Charging home from fifth in the lane, Brazen ($2.60) and reinsman Brian Sears finished 1¾ lengths back in third, rounding out the $84.50 triactor.

Jones trains Stormont Welldone, a chestnut son of Balanced Image, for breeders Stormont Meadows of Long Sault, Ontario. With the win – the seventh of his career – the colt increased to 2005 resume to read 5-2-1 and $116,189 in purses.

For his career, Stormont Welldone has banked over $139,081.

Twenty-nine drawn into Tuesday’s Oakville elims

Twenty-nine two-year-old trotting fillies have been drawn into three C$30,000 eliminations for the Oakville Stakes, set for Tuesday, September 13 at Mohawk.

The top three finishers from each elim, place one fourth-place finisher drawn by lot, will advance to the C$487,300 final, scheduled for Monday, September 19 over the Campbellville seven-eighths of a mile course.

The elims have been carded as races three (7:59 p.m.), six (8:56) and seven (9:15).

Flamingo Bingo (PP1, Jimmy Takter) and Lisas Mission (PP4, Mike Saftic) are the standouts in the opening elim.

Flamingo Bingo, a brown SJs Caviar filly trained by Takter has won four of her five starts this season, including a neck victory in 1:56.1 over Arlanda Hanover in a division of the Champlain Stakes on September 6 at Mohawk. A career earner of $72,376, Flamingo Bingo is the second foal out of the Lindy Lane mare Hialeah Hanover, and was a mere $3,700 (U.S.) yearling purchase from the 2004 Tattersalls Sale in Kentucky. East Windsor, New Jersey’s Christina Takter and Toronto, Ontario’s John Fielding share ownership of Flamingo Bingo.

Lisas Mission, a bay daughter of Mr Lavec who has found success on the front-end, has banked over $116,215 this season while competing out of conditioner Adrian Hickey’s barn. Out of the Garland Lobell mare Berto Cathy, Lisas Mission is a full sister to Corinas Mission (t,3, 1:58, $402,177 ) and has compiled a 3-1-1 record from her six starts so far this campaign for owner Lisa Heyden of Midhurst, Ontario.

In the second division, the prohibitive favourites will line up on opposite ends of the starting gate, as Birminghim (PP2, Trevor Ritchie) has drawn the inside and Pure Ivory (PP9, Steve Condren) the outside.

Trainer Harald Lunde owns Birminghim, a brown Striking Sahbra filly who has banked over $152,778 this season and has failed to miss the board so far in her six starts. The first foal out of the Garland Lobell mare Buckinghim, Birminghim has raced to a 3-2-1 record this season, notching wins in an O.S.S. Gold Final at Rideau Carleton Raceway, a division of the Robert Stewart and another O.S.S. Gold Final at Mohawk after being a C$28,000 purchase at the 2004 Canadian Classic Sale.

Pure Ivory, another daughter of Striking Sahbra, has been very solid this season for conditioner Brad Maxwell. In her six starts, the bay has notched wins in divisions of the O.S.S. Grassroots, Trillium, Robert Stewart and Champlain Stakes. With over $113,622 in the bank, Pure Ivory, who is out of Balanced Image mare Image Control, has won five of her six starts, with her only defeat being a nosed-out second in an O.S.S. Gold Final on August 29 at Mohawk. Owned by Ontario’s Jerry Vanboekel, Harry Rutherford, Christina Maxwell and driver Condren, Pure Ivory is Image Control’s fourth foal and was a C$62,000 purchase at the 2004 Forest City Sale.

Meadowview Tiffy (PP3, Patrick Lachance) and Oaklea Opal (PP8, Luc Ouellette) are the two quickest fillies set to perform in the third elim.

Meadowview Tiffy, an Angus Hall bay out of the Brisco Hanover mare Frisky Mitchelle, has compiled a 1-0-2 record from six starts, with the lone win coming in a division of the Robert Stewart. Brad Shakes conditions the filly for Orono, Ontario’s Meadowview Farms Inc. and she has banked $42,321. In her most recent start, Meadowview Tiffy looked home and cleared in a Champlain division on September 6 at Mohawk, but went on the run while on the lead in the lane.

Oaklea Opal, conditioned by Duane Marfisi for Thornhill’s Alan Alber and North York, Ontario’s Allan Carr, has made four starts this season and made a pair of visits to the winner’s circle. The bay daughter of Mr Lavec won an O.S.S. Gold Elim at Mohawk and most recently scored in a Champlain division on September 6, stopping the clock in 1:58.3. The third foal out of the Garland Lobell mare Oaklea Ida, Oaklea Opal was a C$20,000 purchase at the
2004 Forest City Sale.

The complete fields for each of the elims are as follows:

Note: All horses will be competing for the retention barn.

Elim #1
PP – Horse – Listed Driver – Trainer – (Sire/Dam)
1 – Flamingo Bingo – J. Takter – J. Takter – (SJs Caviar/Hialeah Hanover)
2 – Mai Tai – J. Campbell – C. Ryder – (Conway Hall/Gin Dream)
3 – Celebrity Sweedie – T. Ritchie – K. Johnson – (Yankee Glide/B Cor Peatra)
4 – Lisas Mission – M. Saftic – A. Hickey – (Mr Lavec/Berto Cathy)
5 – Womanly Image – M. Baillargeon – J. Kopas – (Balanced Image/Val Lee Woman)
6 – Dream Of Dreams – T. Smedshammer – T. Smedshammer – (Pine Chip/Armbro Victorious)
7 – Winning Sister – TBA – C. Norris – (Muscles Yankee/American Sister)
8 – Geisha Hall – J. Moiseyev – R. McIntosh – (Striking Sahbra/Garnelia Angus)
9 – Lanterns Joy – J. Sugg – J. Sugg – (Enjoy Lavec/Armbro Lantern)

Elim #2
PP – Horse – Listed Driver – Trainer – (Sire/Dam)
1 – Passionate Glide – R. Pierce – J. Takter – (Yankee Glide/Miss Marita)
2 – Birminghim – T. Ritchie – H. Lunde – (Striking Sahbra/Buckinghim)
3 – CR Zoe Faith – R. Allen – R. Allen – (CR Commando/Country Kay Sue)
4 – Arlanda Hanover – P. MacDonell – M. Steacy – (SJs Caviar/Armbro Pantomime)
5 – Indigo Sakra – Y. Gingras – B. Burgess – (Striking Sahbra/Meadowbranch Judy)
6 – Vonda Boko – T. Smedshammer – T. Smedshammer – (Self Possessed/Ever So Lightly)
7 – Muscles McNuggets – R. Turner – R. Turner – (Muscles Yankee/Pine Nugget)
8 – Strong Sue – R. Zeron – T. Smedshammer – (Muscles Yankee/CR Oh Suzanna)
9 – Pure Ivory – S. Condren – B. Maxwell – (Striking Sahbra/Image Control) 10 – Sweetheart K – M. Saftic – R. Gillock – (Muscles Yankee/Sweet American)

Elim #3
PP – Horse – Listed Driver – Trainer – (Sire/Dam)
1 – Fancy N Diamonds – W. O’Donnell – W. O’Donnell – (Striking Sahbra/Favorite Hall)
2 – China Tea Party – J. Moiseyev – R. McIntosh – (Muscles Yankee/China Tea)
3 – Meadowview Tiffy – P. Lachance – B. Shakes – (Angus Hall/Frisky Mitchelle)
4 – Carmita – L. Ouellette – D. Swick – (Malabar Man/Noifsaboutit)
5 – Guilt Free – J. Moiseyev – A. Lorentzon – (Enjoy Lavec/Psychiatrist)
6 – Northernpossession – T. Smedshammer – T. Smedshammer – (Self Possessed/Northern Splendour)
7 – Drugeda – T. Andersson – T. Andersson – (Banker Hall/Dina Tempest)
8 – Oaklea Opal – L. Ouellette – D. Marfisi – (Mr Lavec/Oaklea Ida)
9 – Corries Glory – R. Zeron – T. Artandi – (Striking Sahbra/Hildy Almahurst)
10 – Patsys Point – J. Takter – J. Takter – (Striking Sahbra/Island Bound)