by Bruce Murray, media/communications, the Woodbine Entertainment Group
Toronto, ON — There were four Canadian Breeders Championships for two-year-olds on Saturday night at Woodbine, and as so often happens late in the year, upsets were a plenty. Trainer Susanne Kerwood had a night she’ll never forget as two members of her stable swept both trotting events. Kerwood’s Merry Rules got the proceedings off to a shocking start when the 80-1 longshot reached the wire first in the C$132,529 Two-Year-Old Filly Trot. Driver Mike Saftic piloted the black daughter of Mr Lavec to a quarter-length decision over Le Reve and Elena in a time of 1:58.3, which tied the stakes record. “I had a really good feeling tonight to be quite honest with you,” said Kerwood, who trains Merry Rules for owner C And I Siegel Racing Stable of New York. “I told Mike ‘don’t get away last this week (like last week’s elimination) with her’ and he didn’t, so it worked out.” Honour Way, the 4-5 favourite, took over the lead from Jolie Tempest before the :59.2 half and led to mid-stretch before giving way. It was the third win in nine starts for Merry Rules, who finished sixth in her elimination. “She was a little tough to get going early,” noted Kerwood. “She had a little problem with her gait. When we added trotting hopples, it helped her a lot. She has just gotten stronger through the season.” Merry Rules returned $169.30 for the win and keyed a $710.40 exactor with 16-1 shot Le Reve. Elena completed a $9,751.60 triactor. In a pre-race interview beamed across the country on The Score Television Network, Kerwood had her doubts about Merry Rules’ stablemate Last Flight Out’s chances from the rail in the C$125,957 colt trot. Sent off at odds of 6-1, the bay Angus Hall son soon proved his conditioner wrong, getting the job done with a 1:57.2 mile, capped off with a late rush to the wire. Sitting mid-pack, as Stormont Welldone went to the quarter in :26.4 and to the half-mile in :57, Last Flight Out was first-over, six lengths in arrears, as the new leader, Travelin Lite, met the third call in 1:27. In second, yet still four lengths back at the head of the lane, Last Flight Out was under urging by driver Jack Moiseyev and the colt got up late to notch a half length margin in the new life’s mark mile. “I had him started up when I came first-up and then one came out in front of me and I got kind of jammed up,” Moiseyev said of Last Flight Out ($15.90), explaining his journey through the stretch. “I think if that one wouldn’t have come out I would’ve won a lot easier. I had to stop my momentum and steer around him.” Seven lengths back at the top of the lane, Mill Work, in rein to his conditioner, Rick Zeron, closed to finish a half length back in second. Driver Chris Christoforou and Travelin Lite were a close third, just three-quarters of a length back. With just a lone victory and a shade over $16,000 in earnings coming into the contest, Last Flight Out put in a sparkling effort for owners Norman and Isabelle Vartanian of Hamilton, Ontario. Out of the Baltic Speed mare Oksana Byeyule, Last Flight Out catapulted his seasonal earnings to $69,848 with his performance. The parade of autumn upsets continued in the C$215,143 Two-Year-Old Filly Pace when the overwhelming 1-5 choice Lady Dillinger went down to defeat just steps from the wire at the hands of Smiling Beauty. The early pacesetter emerged from the pocket and took down the mighty daughter of D M Dillinger in a stakes record mile of 1:52.2. Luc Ouellette engineered the winning effort for trainer and co-owner Gregg McNair and partners Len Gamble and Dave Carson. McNair said the fact his Grinfromeartoear filly had just seven starts entering the contest was largely responsible for the outcome. “She’s the freshest mare of the bunch (and) I think it makes a big difference this late in the year,” said McNair. “She’d only had a handful of starts and the rest of them have been racing hard all year. We were pretty high on her all winter. She was one of the better fillies that we had, then we had some soundness problems. We had some other (fillies ready to race) so we didn’t push her too much.” Lady Dillinger was easily second, but it was another 10 lengths back to third place finisher Azrael. Smiling Beauty, let go at nearly 12-1 odds, earned $91,435 for her work and the win was her third to go along with a pair of seconds and one third in nine starts. There were multiple lead changes early, but when Silent Swing and driver Randy Waples decided it was their turn in the C$244,131 colt pace, they got there just in time. Coming on late to collar Astronomical in the final strides, Silent Swing froze the teletimer in 1:51.4. Producing a new career mark, Silent Swing shaved one-fifth of a second off the previous stakes record set by Ifihadyourluck in 2001. Leaving from post position nine, Lincoln Parke (Jody Jamieson) wrestled the lead away from Isle Of Patmos (Luc Ouellette) and reached the quarter-pole in :26 seconds flat. Quickly going for the lead, Ouellette re-took the point in the second quarter, but his lead was short lived. Out and calling from the three hole, Astronomical (Paul MacDonell) cleared to the lead after the :54.4 half. While the leaders on the front were battling it out, Waples sat in mid-pack in the backstretch and came first over before the half. Silent Swing, a student of conditioner Jack Darling, motored on the outside, gunning for Astronomical. Briefly grabbing the cones after Astronomical passed the third call in a wicked 1:22.2, Waples again had Silent Swing back out for the stretch battle. Astronomical was unable to hold off Silent Swing ($14.30) as the margin of victory was a mere half length. Pacific Admiral (Chris Christoforou) finished third, two and a half lengths in arrears. “He’s just a really responsive type of horse. He wants to race and he likes what he does out there,” Waples said of Silent Swing. “He’s really good-gaited and has a high turn of speed, which he can turn on in a flash. “I think that he always had the parts and Jack (Darling) along with everyone that drove him knew it. But, late in the year Jack decided to geld him and I think that is what helped him.” Owned by Darling along with London, Ontario’s Dan Smith, Silent Swing (Northern Luck–She Cantsay No) now has $241,583 in earnings from a season which saw him go 3-3-3 from 14 starts.
Benefiting from torrid fractions laid down by Rair Earth, Escape The Wind and trainer-driver Roger Mayotte came first-up and stopped the clock in an unbelievable 1:49.1 in Woodbine’s C$50,000 Open Pace.
![](http://ustrottingnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/6624-041128wbwind.jpg)
Woodbine Entertainment Photo
Escape The Wind crosses the finish line in 1:49.1 to win Saturday’s Open.
Sitting fourth, the four-year-old gelded son of Artiscape was tipped out in the final turn after Rair Earth (Mike Saftic) put in a :53.2 half-mile off a :25.2 opening quarter. Reaching the third call in 1:21.1, Rair Earth chugged for home, but couldn’t withstand Escape The Wind’s charge.
Attaining the lead for good in the final eighth, Escape The Wind ($12.10, $6.40, $5.70) notched his seventh win of the year, this time in mark-lowering fashion. Rair Earth ($11.40, $7.00) hung on for second and completed a $130.80 exactor, while Quality Western ($3.60) and driver Mark MacDonald completed a $668.40 triactor.
Owned by the Venture 2000 Stable and Early Bird Stables of Mississauga, Ontario, Escape The Wind’s seasonal resume now reads 7-2-3 and $219,960 in earnings from 21 starts.
Out of the Cam Fella mare Chicole, Escape The Wind now has 17 career wins and $688,894 in overall earnings.
–Jeff Renton also contributed to this report