Steve Condren piloted Sarong Hall to victory in the Celias Counsel Trotting Series Final.

Sarong Hall, who is conditioned by Dr. Peter Johnston for his partners Idylwood Stables Inc. and Watkins Equine Inc., improved her seasonal resume to 4-3-0 and $52,729 in earnings with the victory, the eighth start of her 2005 season after going unraced as a two-year-old.

Having cut the middle half-mile, Givemearing ($2.50, $2.10), who was driven by Trevor Ritchie for conditioner Harald Lunde, finished second, two and three-quarter lengths in arrears and completed the $13.10 exactor. Scooting out first-over as they turned for home, Whitesand Samantha ($2.50), a Scott McEneny student driven by Paul MacDonell, charged home in the two-wide path, eventually finishing two and three-quarter lengths back in third and bottoming out the $33.70 triactor. Chuckalo Beckster, a 42-1 shot driven by Mark MacDonald, finished fourth, while Malgebra, racing at odds of 29-1, finished fifth for trainer/driver Ron Waples.

The victory by Sarong Hall (Garland Lobell–Street Walk) was a mark-lowering effort, which was also just one-fifth of a second off the stakes record (Armbro Beseech, 2004).

“Overall, she was pretty good,” Condren said. “I didn’t want to get into any sort of speed duel early with her. She shows that she’s got a lot of speed and stamina, so I was trying to use it at the right time — where the money is -– and it worked out really well.”

Starting from the seven hole, Condren sat fifth early, as Whitesand Samantha was three-wide to the opening call, which was reached in :28.4. The second quarter-mile saw Givemearing, the 4-5 post time choice, go first-over from the pocket and clear to the point before the :58.2 half-mile indicator.

After going overland from fifth just before the half-mile marker, Sarong Hall advanced in the third quarter, as she followed the cover of Northern Bonnet and driver Roger Mayotte. Northern Bonnet then broke stride before the 1:28.1 three-quarter pole. Given the luxury of the newly inherited racing room, Whitesand Samantha was again angled out by MacDonell.

Continuing to advance from the backfield, Condren and Sarong Hall met their cover, tipped out wide and came home for the convincing triumph.

“I was told that she could be a little warm, but she was good and cool tonight,” continued Condren. “Mr. Johnston did a really good job with her tonight and it was just a matter of keeping her in contention and putting her in the right place.”

Sarong Hall, whose dam is a Cumin mare, is eligible to the Casual Breeze Stakes, an event for three-year-olds which will take place on June 3 at Woodbine.

“It was a good mile tonight and I think that she’s going to get better,” Condren concluded. “I’m sure she’ll be able to play with the three-year-old fillies around here and I think that she’ll hold her own pretty well.”

Second leg of the Diplomat open for the taking

Seven horses have been drawn into Friday’s C$25,000 second leg of the Diplomat Pacing Series from Woodbine, which will not see opening leg victors Stonebridge Regal and Arties Samartie perform.

With those two Bob McIntosh students on the sidelines, the dash (race one, 7:40 p.m.) is open for the taking.

Still, Ijustdontgiveacam (post three, Jack Moiseyev) will be representing McIntosh in the contest and the colt could easily be one of the chalk picks.

WEG Photos

Ijustdontgiveacam will be one of the favorites in this Friday’s second leg of the Diplomat Series.

Ijustdontgiveacam, who is owned by his trainer along with Al McIntosh and James Machan, was unraced as a two-year-old, but has developed a knack for hitting the board so far this year. The bay son of Camluck has compiled a 5-2-1 record and $53,511 in earnings from his 10 starts this campaign. Out of those which are set to compete in Friday’s field, Ijustdontgiveacam has the most 2005 victories (five) to go along with the highest seasonal and career purse earnings ($53,511).

Along with Village Joshua (post two, Chris Christoforou), Ijustdontgiveacam is the only one in Friday’s field that competed in the final of the recently concluded Youthful Pacing Series. After leaving from post position five in the Youthful Final, Ijustdontgiveacam failed to find the confines of the rail and finished eighth, almost 10 lengths in arrears to Stonebridge Regal, pacing his mile in 1:53.1.

Prior to the finale of the Youthful, Ijustdontgiveacam had won a division of the series’ opening leg. The colt also won a second leg division of the Apaches Fame Pacing Series in March (where he took he mark of 1:53.3) before finishing six and a half lengths back in second to Putnam Romeo in the C$56,200 final, pacing his mile in 1:54.1.

P H Breakaway (post six, Luc Ouellette), who had been out of action since January 31, made a splash in his return last week in the opening leg of the Diplomat. After coming in off one successful qualifier, the Jenna’s Beach Boy gelding paced in 1:52.1 from post five and finished three-quarters of a length back in second to Arties Samartie after a second-over trip.

P H Breakaway hit the board in all eight of his 2004 starts (6-1-1), and off of those six victories, he is the winningest performer of any in Friday’s projected field. After five starts so far this season, the student of conditioner Kevin McMaster has had a lone place finish and two shows, good for $14,486 in earnings.

Lis Mara, who chased Stonebridge Regal to the wire last week, has drawn the outside seven hole. After putting in a sharp 1:54.1 mile at Flamboro, the Cambest colt finished just three-quarters of a length in arrears last week, pacing in 1:55.3 over an off track. Trainer William McNeil has listed Paul MacKenzie to perform the driving duties on Friday.

The series is restricted to non-winners of C$50,000 in 2004 and has a C$92,500 (est.) final scheduled for May 6.

The complete field is as follows: