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

Toronto – Heavenly Sign, who hails from the barn of Rick Zeron, hooked up with her conditioner Monday, July 19 at Woodbine and mowed down the field of the C$61,200 Town Pro Series, posting a four-length margin of victory in 1:51.4.Owned by Peter Congilose of Toms River and Jay Scheiner of Fort Lee, New Jersey, Heavenly Sign sat well off the tempo, yet came home with the same strong kick that she put on display for the other three-year-old pacing fillies during the series’ second leg.

Having come home with a :27.2 final panel last week in which she drew away from her rivals, the bay daughter of Life Sign was six-wide in the stretch in the final after making up substantial ground from the three-quarter pole onward.

After leaving from the seventh post position, Heavenly Sign sat ninth, where she would stay through the first three calls. But, when Zeron called on her she responded fully.

With Jody Jamieson calling the shots, Ja El Shamrock led the field to hasty :25.3 opening split. Up to challenge from fourth, Armbro Berlin and reinsman Keith Oliver made the front and recorded the equally snappy half mile in :53.3. Loving Successor (Luc Ouellette) and Mai Katie (Steve Condren) came knocking on door, as they kept the outer flow coming quickly. Still holding off the onslaught, Oliver and Armbro Berlin led the field to the head of the lane where it simply turned into the Heavenly Sign show.

After being parked, 8½-lengths back at the three-quarter pole, Heavenly Sign was up to fourth, four lengths back at the head of the lane. With Zeron firing the afterburners, his mount drew off and posted the four-length score, lowering her life’s mark by a full second.“She showed up and played pretty hard last week,” Zeron said of Heavenly Sign’s preliminary win. “I had moved her back to the front and she kicked home pretty well, so I was kind of thinking of some pretty big things [for the final].

“I was looking over the program with one of the guys and kind of thought there would be some early speed and there was, so it really helped me out because she kicks home so well.”

Out of the Landslide mare Secretariat, Heavenly Sign ($8.70, $4.80, $3.30) added to her impressive seasonal resume with the win, bumping her record to 4-2-1.

Going off at 50-1 and in rein to Tony Kerwood, Northwestern ($38.40, $13.90) closed from tenth to second in the final panel and inflated the $482.00 exactor and the $1,933.30 triactor. Driven by Trevor Ritchie, Summer Mystery ($3.80), the 2-1 post time favourite, finished five lengths back in third after lowering the stakes record a week earlier with a 1:51.3 score.

In taking the Town Pro finale, Rick Zeron recorded his third series title of the year on the WEG circuit after reining supreme in the General Brock with Deadmans Curve and winning the Youthful Series with Flashy Baron.

NOTES: While winning the c$130,000 O.S.S. Gold Final a race earlier with two-year-old trotting colt colt Brazen, driver Trevor Ritchie surpassed the $50 million dollar plateau in career earnings.

Congratulations Trevor!