Danielle Hall improving heading into Elegantimage
September 18, 2015,by Mark McKelvie, WEG Communications
Campbellville, ON — All eyes will be on Mission Brief in Saturday’s Elegantimage Stakes at Mohawk, but Danielle Hall is slowly starting to find the stride that banked her $483,691 as a 2-year-old.
The daughter of Deweycheatumnhowe will leave from post six in the C$404,000 Elegantimage Stakes for Jody and Carl Jamieson. Last season, Danielle Hall won the $222,500 Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final and finished second in the $500,000 Breeders Crown.
New Image Media photo
Danielle Hall (No. 2) won the OSS Super Final last October at Mohawk.
All signs pointed towards another strong year for the trotting filly, but a setback earlier this season slowed down the Jamieson trainee.
“She qualified in (1):55 at the start of the year and just looked like a monster,” said Jody Jamieson. “She hurt her knee somehow and then she was in Guelph for a long time.”
Danielle Hall missed two months of racing after being scratched from an OSS Gold event on June 18.
The Ontario sired filly returned to the races on Aug. 24 in a conditioned event, but made a break. However, the break would not be a sign of things to come, as Danielle Hall has recovered to put together three good starts since.
In last week’s Elegantimage elimination, Danielle Hall finished second over the ‘sloppy’ track to Mission Brief, who won by 15 lengths and trotted in 1:54.1 over the track listed three seconds off.
“We were very happy to finish second and to get into the final,” said Jamieson. “She’s a work in progress; she’s getting stronger and tighter all the time, but the trip Mission Brief went was a monstrosity, it was unbelievable.”
Danielle Hall was individually timed in 1:57.1 and Mission Brief’s winning time was almost two seconds faster than Muscle Baby Doll’s 1:56 victory in the first elimination.
“I looked at it compared to the other horses that raced in the other elimination and I think she’s going to be competitive,” said Jamieson. “I think we are all racing for second, hopefully we will be second, but if something happens and if she stays good and keeps progressing on, she’s got a shot to get good money for sure.”
Owned by Carl Jamieson and Thomas Kyron, Danielle Hall has missed each OSS Gold event this season, but a strong performance in the final Gold event on Sept. 29 at Mohawk could earn her enough points to qualify for the Super Final. The daughter of Deweycheatumnhowe is also eligible to the Breeders Crown at Woodbine in October.
While there is still plenty of money out there to be won, Danielle Hall could make up for the two months she missed and grab a solid payday Saturday. Jamieson is hopeful she can finish the year off strong.
“She’s a great mare, she tries her heart out all the time and just keeping our fingers crossed she stays good the rest of the year.”
For a look at Saturday’s entries at Mohawk, click here.
- C$2.7 million Maple Leaf Trot and Canadian Trotting Classic card drawn (Tuesday, September 15, 2015)
The bright lights will be shining on the finest trotters Saturday at Mohawk Racetrack for the C$2.7 million Maple Leaf Trot and Canadian Trotting Classic card. Both storied events, the Maple Leaf Trot will be contested for the 64th time, while the Canadian Trotting Classic, Canada’s richest trotting event, will crown a 40th champion on Saturday.
- Big Mohawk card highlights this week’s Grand Circuit schedule (Wednesday, September 16, 2015)
The bright lights will be shining on the finest trotters Saturday at Mohawk Racetrack for the C$2.7 million Maple Leaf Trot and Canadian Trotting Classic card.
- Hans Enggren’s “resolve” to get Resolve has paid off (Wednesday, September 16, 2015)
Hans Enggren was unfamiliar with Resolve the first time he saw the trotter during the winter between the horse’s 2- and 3-year-old seasons. He knew, though, at that very moment, he wanted to buy the colt. It was more than eight months before Enggren was successful, but it has proved worth the wait.
- Alagna eyes Peaceful Way title with Caprice Hill (Wednesday, September 16, 2015)
After a visit to Hanover Shoe Farms to preview yearlings for the Harrisburg sale last year, trainer Tony Alagna left with only one yearling on his mind. In search of a trotting filly for owner Tom Hill of Hamilton, Ontario, he believed he had found the best one at Harrisburg. Purchased for $55,000 at the sale, Caprice Hill has bankrolled $132,413 in six starts so far this year.
- Bee A Magician vs. the boys will be a nail-biter for Hartman (Wednesday, September 16, 2015)
When Ontario sired super mare Bee A Magician turns to the starting gate Saturday in the C$680,000 final of the 63rd edition of the Maple Leaf Trot at Mohawk Racetrack, her part-owner Mel Hartman will be biting his nails watching the race on TV from his Ottawa home.
- Delaware, Mohawk preview on Morning Line (Thursday, September 17, 2015)
A preview of Saturday’s big Grand Circuit card at Mohawk Racetrack and a look ahead to next week’s Little Brown Jug at Delaware, is featured on this week’s episode of Morning Line, the USTA’s new weekly video news magazine. As part of our Little Brown Jug preview, co-host Allison Conte made a ‘day trip’ to Delaware and talked with trainer Brian Brown, who will start Lost For Words in the Sept. 24 third leg of the Pacing Triple Crown.
- “I can’t believe how far he’s come” (Thursday, September 17, 2015)
Ron Burke says he was all wrong about Southwind Frank. But with the way the horse has raced, the trainer is feeling alright. Southwind Frank is the 2-5 morning line favorite in Saturday’s C$373,000 William Wellwood Memorial for 2-year-old male trotters at Mohawk Racetrack. The colt has won seven of eight career races — all stakes events — and enters Saturday with a six-race win streak.
- Dont Rush looks to continue exceeding expectations in Trotting Classic (Friday, September 18, 2015)
Dustin Jones was hopeful Dont Rush could be an Ontario Sire Stakes Grassroots trotter heading into his 2-year-old season. More than $360,000 in earnings later, the son of Infinitif will start from post two in Saturday’s (Sept. 19) C$700,000 Canadian Trotting Classic.