by Sandra Snyder
Campbellville, ON — After spending the last two months battling North America’s top fillies, Lucks Mistress picked up where she had left off in Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Series action at Mohawk Racetrack on Thursday evening.
In her first provincial start since capturing the July 27 Gold Final at Kawartha Downs, the two-year-old pacing filly cruised to an effortless 1:534 victory in her Gold Elimination on Thursday.
Leaving from post three, the Camluck daughter and driver Jody Jamieson floated off the starting gate and took command of the race heading to the halfway marker. The pair increased their lead with every stride, sailing under the wire two and a half lengths ahead of Lady Dillinger and five and three-quarter lengths up on Whitesand Trick.
Carl Jamieson trains Lucks Mistress for his partners in the Lucks Mistress Stable of Princeton, conditioning the talented filly to a record of five wins and two seconds in nine starts this season for earnings of $207,632.
In addition to a pair of Gold Elimination wins and two Gold Final trophies, the C$110,000 yearling boasts a win in the Robert Stewart Stakes, a runner-up placing in the Champlain and a fourth place finish in the She’s A Great Lady Elimination. Her only disappointing effort came in the She’s A Great Lady Final at Woodbine Racetrack on September 4 when she made a break and finished sixth.
The other Gold Series Elimination went to Claires Apache, who powered around the Mohawk oval on the front end, laying down fractions of :273, :562 and 1:25 on her way to the 1:541 victory. Pacific Supreme closed well to wrestle second away from pocket sitter and reigning Gold Final champion Shes Almost Famous, both fillies finishing three-quarters of a length behind Claires Apache.
Guelph resident Gregg McNair bred, owns and trains Claires Apache with partner Ian Fleming of Londesborough. Regular reinsman Mike Saftic was in the race bike for Thursday’s victory, the filly’s second in five attempts. The Apaches Fame daughter captured an elimination of the season opening Gold Series at Woodbine Racetrack in July and finished second in the Final.
The top three fillies from each elimination will be joined by fourth and fifth-place finishers, Northern Diligence and E Business and Ingrid Bergrin and Helena Handbag, in the C$130,000 Gold Final next Thursday evening at Mohawk Racetrack.
The two-year-old pacing fillies wrap up their regular season on October 29 at Windsor Raceway before the top 10 point earners head back to Woodbine for the $300,000 Super Final on November 13.
New faces flock to Mohawk for Gold Series on Monday
Ontario’s top two-year-old trotting colts head to Mohawk Racetrack on Monday night where they will be joined by a sizeable group of newcomers to the Gold Series scene.
14 of the 28 contestants are making their Gold Series debut, facing off against veterans like two-time Gold Final winner Mill Work.
Trainer Kevin Davidson will harness two colts in the C$101,768 event, the division’s number four colt Sam McCord and first time starter Way Up North.
“We kind of backed off with Way Up North for a while, but now he’s going nicely,” says Davidson’s partner Catherine Stewart. “We just hope he shows the faith we’ve had in him.”
Way Up North will make his racing debut from post seven in the fourth race on Monday and heads into the contest off a pair of solid qualifiers over the Mohawk oval, a 2:052 mile over an off track on September 7 and a 2:014 effort seven days later. Phil Hudon will drive the Incredible Abe son, who was a C$15,000 purchase at last fall’s Canadian Classic Yearling Sale.
Davidson owns Way Up North, while Stewart is the sole proprietor of Sam McCord, and the Campbellville resident says the two colts couldn’t be more different.
“When they trained down they were always side-by-side at the finish line, but Way Up North, he tries harder. Sam just sort of goes with the flow, but he (Way Up North) digs, he’s in there giving you all he’s got,” she explains. “They’re completely different personalities.”
Coming into the event off a month long vacation from the racing wars, Sam McCord makes his fourth Gold Elimination start from post five in the sixth race.
The Chief Litigator son has been a steady presence on the competitive circuit, posting two seconds, one third and two fifth place finishes in Ontario Sires Stakes action, but it is not his on-track results that have caught the eye of harness racing fans from Windsor to Ottawa.
“You have to see him. He’s a chestnut with three white legs, white spots and a white face,” says Stewart, adding that the colt resembles another flashy chestnut she and Davidson handled. “We also had Im A Standardbred and Sam could be his little brother.”
Stewart adds that Sam McCord’s unique qualities extend far beyond his physical appearance.
“He’s the most unusual horse I’ve ever had. I couldn’t even begin to tell you all the things he does,” she says. “He’s different, but you couldn’t ask for a better horse. He has a home for life.”
Stewart made the trip to the Northern Standardbred Sale in Barrie last fall specifically to acquire the dashing young trotter, and came home with a C$7,900 bargain. Through seven starts the colt has already earned $60,094.
“He’s a big lazy going horse, but he always showed us he could trot,” says the owner and caretaker. “And one thing I’ve said, he’s not really fast, but he always stays at it, he tries.”
Sam McCord and his peers will impress Mohawk Racetrack fans in the second, fourth and sixth races on Monday’s 7:40 p.m. program. The top three finishers from each elimination, plus one fourth place finisher drawn by lot, will return to the Campbellville oval on October 4 for the fourth of five C$130,000 Gold Finals on their freshman schedule.
MOHAWK GOLD ELIMINATIONS — MONDAY SEPTEMBER 27
RACE 2 — C$34,256
Post – Horse – Sire – Driver – Trainer
1 – Armbro Count (Angus Hall) J. Jamieson B. Bennett
2 – Adam T (Angus Hall) T.B.A. P. Hunt
3 – Stonebridge Diablo (Angus Hall) Ra. Waples Ro. Waples, Jr.
4 – Last Flight Out (Angus Hall) J. Moiseyev S. Kerwood
5 – Mystic Conquest (King Conch) M. Saftic M. Wade
6 – Monsieur Kan Due (Mr Lavec) G. Hostetler G. Hostetler
7 – Good To Be King (Balanced Image) P. MacDonell J. Bax
8 – Northern Patriot (Yankee Paco) J. McClure M. Keeling
9 – Brancaleone (Balanced Image) A. Haughan H. Holland
10 – Freewheel Hanover (Berndt Hanover) J. Gilchrist J. Gilchrist
RACE 4 — C$33,756
Post – Horse – Sire – Driver – Trainer
1 – St Lads Speedy (Mr Lavec) M. Saftic P. Barkley
2 – Extreme Image (Balanced Image) T. Ritchie D. Creighton
3 – Down Swing (Yankee Paco) L. Ouellette L. Ouellette
4 – Anahar Charlie (Earl) W. Cass W. Cass
5 – Colt Of My Dreams (Balanced Image) Ra. Waples W. Buxton
6 – Mill Work (Mr Lavec) R. Zeron R. Zeron
7 – Way Up North (Incredible Abe) Ph. Hudon K. Davidson
8 – Feeling Frazzled (Mr Lavec) R. Kinney R. Kinney
9 – Reception Hall (Angus Hall) W. Henry R. Henry
RACE 6 — C$33,756
Post – Horse – Sire – Driver – Trainer
1 – Northern Ensign (Angus Hall) R. Mayotte M. Harder
2 – Stinging Force (Balanced Image) L. Ouellette R. Davis
3 – Dominant Kemp (Yankee Paco) R. Kinney R. Kinney
4 – Ja El Abe (Incredible Abe) M. Langdon B. Shakes
5 – Sam McCord (Chief Litigator) Ph. Hudon K. Davidson
6 – Pondo King (King Conch) R. Mayotte R. Young
7 – Hudd (San Pellegrino) A. MacDonald A. MacDonald
8 – Classic Lavec (Mr Lavec) P. MacDonell A. White
9 – Prize Of Angus (Angus Hall) M. MacDonald J. Libby