by Sandra Snyder, for the Ontario Sires Stakes

Campbellville, ON — Bella Dolce laid waste to the Ontario Sires Stakes record for 2-year-old trotting fillies on a seven-eighths-mile oval on Monday evening, August 27, sweeping to an outstanding three length victory at Mohawk Racetrack in the $123,500 Gold final.

Paul MacDonell and Bella Dolce lined up from post three in the talented field of freshman trotting lasses, and when Its My Time and Windsun Magical decided to battle their way to a :28.2 opening quarter, MacDonell settled Bella Dolce in fifth on the rail.

Heading for the :57.4 half, reigning Gold Final champion Torch took command of the race and MacDonell eased Bella Dolce to the outside.

By the 1:27.3 three-quarters, Bella Dolce was sitting almost abreast of Torch, and by the top of the stretch she was 1-3/4 lengths ahead of the field. A sharp :28.2 last quarter propelled Bella Dolce to the 1:56 victory, 3-1/4 lengths ahead of former Gold Final winner Dornello and elimination winner Windsun Magical.

The 1:56 mile stripped a full second off the 1:57 mark shared by former Ontario Sires Stakes superstars Peaceful Way (2003) and Pure Ivory (2005).

Bella Dolce is trained by Richard ‘Nifty’ Norman for breeder David McDuffee of Nashua, N.H. The Kadabra daughter is the first foal from Conway Hall mare Pizza Dolce, who earned $668,824 in her 2- and 3-year-old seasons for McDuffee and his fellow breeders Peter McCann of Groveport, Ohio and Robert Pierz of Saddle River, N.J. Pizza Dolce was trained through her 14-win career by Norman’s former employer Brett Pelling.

Norman started Bella Dolce at New Jersey’s The Meadowlands in late July, where she delivered an ordinary 2:05.1 mile in qualifying action. One week later the filly was entered in a qualifier at Harrah’s Chester in Pennsylvania where she trotted in 2:03.1, and then boarded a trailer bound for Mohawk where she made a break in an August 6 qualifier.

The August 12 Robert Stewart Stake at Mohawk marked Bella Dolce’s racing debut, and the filly rose to the occasion with a sparkling five length win in 1:59.1. In last week’s elimination she was once again an effortless winner in 1:57.3.

Ontario’s brilliant 2-year-old trotting fillies have now lowered Sires Stakes records on five-eighth and seven-eighth-mile ovals.

They return to Mohawk on September 22 for their fourth Gold Series event, and will have an opportunity to lower the half-mile track record when they wrap up the regular season at Western Fair Raceway on October 5.