from the Ontario Sires Stakes

Elora, ON — On Wednesday evening (Aug. 15) the top 2-year-old pacing colts and fillies in Ontario made Grand River Raceway their stage for the second straight week and Stag Party wrote his name in lights with a commanding track, Ontario Sires Stakes and Canadian record performance in the second Gold division.

NCJ Photography

Stag Party lowered the Grand River Raceway, Ontario Sires Stakes and Canadian record for a 2-year-old pacing colt on a half-mile track to 1:52.3 on Wednesday.

Starting from the advantageous post one, Stag Party moved smartly off the gate and parked Battle of Waterloo champion Bronx Seelster through a :26.3 quarter. When Bronx Seelster finally backed into the pocket driver David Miller took his foot off the gas and Stag Party cruised to a :55.4 half and a 1:24.3 three-quarters. In the stretch Miller asked the fan favorite to pick up the tempo once again, and Stag Party drew away to a five length victory in 1:52.3. Bronx Seelster finished second and Keystone Prestige, Stag Party’s stablemate in the Casie Coleman barn, was third.

“I wasn’t expecting to break the track record with him, but I thought he’d be pretty good,” said Coleman. “I wasn’t expecting that kind of a mile, but he did it well in hand and Dave hardly had to speak to him much finishing, so I was real happy with him.”

The 1:52.3 mile shaved two-fifths of a second off the 1:53 track and Canadian record set by 2-year-old pacing colt Tarpon Hanover in the 2012 Battle of Waterloo final and took a full second off the 1:53.3 Ontario Sires Stakes record for 2-year-old pacing colts and geldings on a half-mile track established by Warrawee Needy at Flamboro Downs in 2011.

Coleman conditions the son of Bettor’s Delight and My Lady Day for her partners in the West Wins Stable, John Fielding, Mac Nichol and McKinlay & Fielding. The partners acquired the colt for $125,000 at last fall’s Harrisburg Yearling Sale and have watched him record three wins and one second through his first four starts, banking $86,564.

Stag Party will make his next start in the Aug. 25 Nassagaweya Stakes at Woodbine Mohawk Park and as long as he continues to impress his connections, will follow that up with several more starts against the best young horses in North America.

“He’s got the four big ones at Mohawk next, the Nassagaweya, Champlain and the Metro, so he’ll be gearing up for those ones next,” said Coleman. “I might have to dodge a couple of those Ontario Sires Stakes, just with how busy his schedule is going to be. I’ll play it by ear when we get up closer to it.”

Miller made the trip to Grand River specifically to drive Stag Party, to get a feel for the colt before they head into the open stakes events, and the New Jersey resident was pleased with the youngster.

“I was really impressed with him. I told them, when I got off the bike, I said I’ll be there when he races next week. That’s a pretty good stamp of approval,” said Miller with a chuckle. “He left the gate very well and his manners were good and I’m excited about him. I baby raced probably 500 babies this year and I had to go all the way to Canada to get one like that.”

The other $72,656 pacing colt Gold division was captured by Battle of Waterloo runner-up Bettor’s Wish, who cruised home to a 2-1/2 length victory in 1:55. Keystone Concrete finished second and Coleman trainee Better Up was promoted from fourth to third when his stablemate Sporty Mcsportster, in rein to Miller, suffered interference in the stretch from eventual third-place finisher Sports Teen. As a result, Sports Teen was placed from third down to sixth, behind Sporty Mcsportster.

Paul MacDonell piloted fan favorite Bettor’s Wish to his second Gold win for trainer Chantal Mitchell and owners Chris Ryder, Bella Racing Ltd., Fair Island Farm Inc. and Kenneth Solomon. The Bettor’s Delight-Lifetime Star son was a $20,000 purchase from the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale and has posted four wins, one second, one third and earnings of $141,664 in his first six starts.

Trainer Dave Menary and driver Jody Jamieson swept the $73,872 pacing filly divisions with Battle of the Belles champion Quebec Blue Cup and runner-up Ideation Hanover.

Both fillies controlled the tempo from start to finish, with Ideation Hanover cruising from post one to a 1:55 victory in the first split. Kylie Seelster finished one length behind the fan favorite in second and Menary trainee Blossom Onthebeach was third.

Menary Racing Inc., Michael Guerriero and Alan Alber share ownership of Ideation Hanover. The Bettor’s Delight-Ideal Weather daughter was a $50,000 acquisition from the Harrisburg Yearling Sale and boasts a record of two wins, two seconds, one third and $77,675 through five starts.

Quebec Blue Chip romped to her third straight victory over the Grand River oval, pacing under the wire seven lengths ahead of favorite Sweet Young Thing and Crisp Mane in 1:56. Menary Racing Inc., Michael Guerriero, Kenneth Ewen and Bruce Norris own the Sportswriter-Haze’s Zure Bet daughter, who was a $40,000 purchase from Harrisburg. Through six starts she now has four wins, one second and one third for earnings of $128,090.

“I kind of figured both fillies would be on the front, and that’s the way it worked,” said Menary, who will also give the fillies a chance to test their skills against the best in North America in the upcoming Eternal Camnation Stake at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Aug. 25.

“In the last couple weeks I think they’ve earned the opportunity,” said the horseman. “Hopefully they can carry this, translate it to the bigger track.”

The 2-year-old pacing colts and fillies will return to Gold Series action on Sept. 28 at Woodbine Mohawk Park in the fourth of five regular season events.