by Mark McKelvie, WEG Communications

Campbellville ON — Sintra and Lindys Nightmare turned in outstanding performances to win their respective series finals Saturday (July 9) night at Mohawk Racetrack. The C$47,000 Summertime Series and C$48,800 Town Pro Series finals helped make up a solid 11-race card Saturday evening at the Campbellville oval.

Sintra wins the Summertime Series final in a career best 1:50 at Mohawk Racetrack.

A field of eight sophomore pacing colts and geldings clashed in the Summertime final, but all eyes were focused squarely on Dave Menary trainee Sintra. The gelded son of Mach Three entered the Summertime final with just a single loss on his card this season and he kept it that way with an easy 1:50 victory. Driven by Jody Jamieson, Sintra got away third and made a second-quarter brush to the front to reach the half in :55.2. The Menary trainee ramped up the tempo in the third-quarter to reach that marker in 1:23 and finished off the mile with comfortable :27 kicker to win by four lengths. Major Hill finished second, while Blayde Hanover grabbed third.

After going winless in an injury-shortened rookie season, Sintra now has seven wins in eight starts this season.

“He’s just been a great horse all year,” said Jamieson following the race. “They were high on him last year and when the horse moved over from Dan Lagace’s barn, who did a great job prepping him last year, he just took a bad step at Grand River and got hurt, but Dave (Menary) has given him lots of time and brought him back the right way.”

Sintra’s only loss this season was a runner-up finish to Pepsi North America Cup champion Betting Line in an OSS Gold event last week.

“You can’t really call it a blemish when Betting Line beats you in the stretch,” noted Jamieson. “But that’s his only blemish so far this year and he’s just been a monster and tonight was no different.”

Owned by Brad Gray, Michael Guerriero and Menary Racing Inc, Sintra now has C$136,250 earned this season to bring his career earnings to C$145,400. The clocking of 1:50 shaved three-fifths of a second off his previous career-best.

A C$2 win ticket on Sintra returned C$2.20.

The Town Pro Series final for 3-year-old pacing fillies saw another impressive victory by a heavy favorite.

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Lindys Nightmare wins her Summertime split by seven lengths.

Lindys Nightmare followed up her 1:50.4 victory in the opening leg with an open lengths score in 1:51.2 Saturday night. Driven by Rick Zeron, the 1-5 favorite moved from fourth to the front in the second-quarter, ultimately clearing to command at the half in :54.4. After reaching the three-quarter pole in 1:23.2, Lindys Nightmare waved goodbye to her rivals and pulled away for a seven-length victory. Queen Ideal edged out Southwind Tango for second, while Shes Lights Out was fourth.

“I was pretty confident with her,” said Zeron post-race. “She did get used a bit going to the half, but she kicked into gear in the lane and was all by herself.”

A daughter of Western Terror, Lindys Nightmare didn’t race at age two and now has four wins in five starts this season. Her career earnings sit at C$46,400 for Lindy Farms of Connecticut following Saturday’s victory.

Lindys Nightmare paid C$2.50 to win.

For both the Summertime and Town Pro Series, 3-year-olds that were non-winners of C$30,000 lifetime as of March 31, 2016 were eligible.