Bunny Lake rolls in Roses Are Red elimination
August 28, 2004,by Bruce Murray, media/communications, the Woodbine Entertainment Group
Toronto, ON — Bunny Lake came within one-fifth of a second of equaling the world record for female pacers when she and driver Luc Ouellette teamed up to scorch the Woodbine oval in 1:49 in a C$50,000 elimination of the Roses Are Red Stakes on Friday night.
The six year-old daughter of Precious Bunny exploded from behind the starting gate to grab the top by the eighth pole, then yielded to arch-rival Eternal Camnation before the quarter in :261. As they toured the backstretch, Ouellette re-moved Bunny Lake to the front and she kept a length margin through the half in :542 and three-quarters in 1:221. She sling-shotted out of the last turn and cruised home in powerful fashion to score a two length win. Remember When’s first over bid landed her second with Always Cam splitting through to take third. Lookettepoedunk and Eternal Camnation were also right there to qualify for the C$376,500 final on September 4.
“When I scored her down she felt beautiful,” said Ouellette. “I wasn’t concerned about breaking the world record or anything like that. This gal just showed up. Her ears were up and you could tell her attitude was great and she was about to do something great.
“I just tested Eric (Ledford driving Eternal Camnation) a little bit and if he showed he wanted to cut it, then I would have sat (in) the two hole. But, he let me regain (the lead) and she felt really good.”
The world record of 1:484 is co-held by Frightening P (2002 at the Meadowlands) and Carolina Sunshine (2003 at Woodbine).
Eternal Camnation, who wasn’t her usually ferocious self in the stretch and ended up three and a half lengths back, wasn’t fond of the muggy conditions according to Ledford.
“She doesn’t like this weather at all,” said Ledford. “That’s why she’s always loved it up here. It’s usually a little cooler. We’ll hope for that kind of weather next week. She’ll show up.”
Bunny Lake, trained by co-owner John Stark for partner W Springtime Racing Stable of Saratoga, New York, earned her 46th career tally and is now within striking distance of $3 million herself with $2,666,070 in the bank.
In the first elimination, Burning Point made a point of her own, going wire-to-wire in 1:50 for driver Kevin Wallis. The four-year-old Camluck mare defeated a stubborn Carolina Sunshine by a length, with pocket-sitter Please Me Please third.
Trained by Steve Elliott for the Cuzzins Stable of Boca Raton, Florida, Burning Point’s lifetime earnings soared past $1.2 million with her 28th career victory.
Under Woodbine’s new format for major stakes, the elimination winners got to select their post positions ahead of the open draw. Bunny Lake’s name was drawn first and her connections took post three, while Burning Point selected the two hole. Below is the field in post position order:
Post/Horse/Driver/Trainer
1. Jasper Avenue/Paul MacDonell/Nat Varty
2. Burning Point/Kevin Wallis/Steve Elliott
3. Bunny Lake/Luc Ouellette/John Stark
4. Cinder Best/TBA/Seldon Ledford
5. Always Cam/Mike Saftic/William Zendt
6. Carolina Sunshine/Mario Baillargeon/Darren McCall
7. Please Me Please/Jack Moiseyev/Robert McIntosh
8. Remember When/Steve Condren/Robert McIntosh
9. Lookettepoedunk/Randall Waples/Brett Robinson
10. Eternal Camnation/Eric Ledford/Jeff Miller