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

Toronto, March 20, 2005… Amethyst returned to form and M T Freedom notched her second consecutive victory, as the C$35,000 second leg of the Damsel Pacing Series for three and four-year-old fillies and mares was contested at Woodbine Sunday afternoon. Rebounding from a seventh-place finish last week in the opening leg, Amethyst ($10.30, $4.40, 3.10) was sharp this week in the first division, as she barreled home for driver Mario Baillargeon and stopped the clock in a new life’s mark of 1:52.3.

WEG Photo

Amethyst returned to her winning ways in the second leg of the Damsel Pacing Series for three and four-year-old fillies and mares on Sunday at Woodbine.

Performing out of the John Kopas barn and driven by Steve Condren, Croquette Hanover ($3.30, $2.70) finished 3½-lengths back in second and rounded out the $44.90 exactor. Driven by Phil Hudon for trainer Bob Atkin, Converging Spirit ($3.50) was 4¼-lengths back in third and completed the $142.10 triactor.

Retsina (Roger Mayotte) cut the quarter in :26.3 from the nine-hole and carried the field to the backstretch. Following Vegas Girl (Luc Ouellette) outside and to the front, Amethyst came out from fourth and tripped the half-mile timer in :55.3 while still on the outer tier. From there, Amethyst (Miami Mogul—Sparkling Jewel) cleared, passed the three-quarters in 1:24.3 and came home in 28 seconds, notching her 23rd career victory.

“I knew that she would be a little bit better [than in the opening round] because last week she was sick,” Baillargeon revealed in the paddock afterwards. “All the credit goes to [Amethyst’s trainer] Kelly Sheppard, he got her back healthy in seven days. She had shipped from Florida and she scoped really bad last week after the race. I didn’t even think that she was going to race this week.”

Owned by Florida’s Keisers Oberman Stables and Rodney Lorenzo, Amethyst banked her first check of the year in what was her second start of the campaign.

“I had to move her earlier than I would have liked to,” concluded Baillargeon. “Luc let me go kind of easy and the third quarter was sort of soft and she kicked home really well.”

M T Freedom ($5.30, $3.50, $2.80) will be looking for a sweep of the series in next Sunday’s C$121,000 final after the Albert Albert four-year-old converted a pocket ride in 1:52.1 during this afternoon’s second division.

Driven by her regular pilot Keith Oliver, the Bill Companion trainee sat in the two-hole as Apache Dame cut the fractions in :26.4, :56 and 1:24.1. Firing off of the helmet in the lane, M T Freedom posted a three-quarters of a length victory over Heavenly Sign ($6.40, $3.10) and driver Rick Zeron, topping a $43.70 exactor. Trained by Harold Stead and driven by Paul MacDonell, Apache Dame ($2.30) hung on for third, 2¼-lengths back, and bottomed out the $94.20 triactor.

“She’s been on top of game for a while. Bill [Companion] does a good job with her and she raced well again today,” Oliver later said in the paddock. “She’ll relax on you a little bit, but she is a good mare and will do it from anywhere.

“She’s raced a lot from the back. I wanted to race her up a little closer in this series so we could make the final and she’s been good.”

Owned by Rockwood, Ontario’s Common Sense Stable and Calgary, Alberta’s Melissa Robinson, M T Freedom bumped her seasonal record to 4-1-0 from what was her sixth start.

“She raced well and that was a good mile today, but I didn’t urge her on a whole lot,” concluded Oliver.

Out of the Direct Scooter mare MG Scoot N Boot, M T Freedom now has 14 career tallies.

Two straight for Snazzy Millie in the Preferred trot

Toronto, March 20, 2005… A reduced field of six contested the C$40,000 Preferred trot Sunday afternoon at Woodbine and for the second consecutive week Snazzy Millie ($4.20, $2.80, $2.30) got the job done.

Driven by Jody Jamieson and trained by Paul Skjaker, Snazzy Millie took a pocket ride throughout the dash and posted a half-length margin of victory in 1:55.3, topping a $17.60 exactor. With driver-trainer Keith Jones at her lines, Abbey Road C ($4.40, $2.80) finished second after cutting soft fractions in :28.3, :59 and 1:27.3. Conditioned by Gregg McNair and driven by Mike Saftic, Spiralscruzngsarah ($2.70) finished 1½-lengths back in third and completed the $57.30 triactor.

A brown five-year-old daughter of Royal Strength, Snazzy Millie is out of the Balanced Image mare Smilin Matty.

Now a career winner of 12 races, Snazzy Millie is a homebred of Langston, Ontario’s Terry and Clarence Devos.

From six starts this year, the mare holds a 3-2-0 record.