Mattscape Seelster paying off in full

by Jeff Renton, media/communications, the Woodbine Entertainment Group

Campbellville, ON — He was a C$15,000 purchase at the Forest City Yearling Sale, but Mattscape Seelster has been a lucrative investment for owner-trainer Jerry Sims.

Set to hook up with his regular pilot, Roger Mayotte, the Artiscape colt is ready to contend the C$61,200 finale of the Summertime Series, a 10 horse tilt for three-year-old colt and gelding pacers, carded as the sixth race (9:04 p.m.) on Mohawk’s Saturday program.

WEG Photo

Mattscape Seelster is seeking a sweep in the Summertime Series at Mohawk.

“I thought that if he could have gotten out of non-winners of C$30,000, after that would’ve been gravy money,” Sims said, of his $79,997 lifetime earner. “I never expected him to be this nice a horse.”

If successful, Mattscape Seelster (post one, Roger Mayotte, 8-5) will complete a sweep of the 27th edition of the series, having put in a 1:50.4 effort in the opening leg and a 1:52.4 mile in the second round.

After utilizing a quarter pole move from fourth in the opening leg, Mattscape Seelster made the lead by the half-mile indicator and never trailed, posting a one and a half length victory and lowering his life’s mark.

The second round saw the bay sit fourth through the opening half-mile and come first-up, battling Super Eighty Eight through the lane. He collared the pacesetter late, prevailing by a neck.

The track was rated ‘fast’ for both miles, yet Mayotte believes that the 1:52.4 clocking is a bit deceiving.

“Last week they really watered the track and dug it up before his race. I thought (the track) was at least a second off because it was so wet and heavy,” Mayotte said. “He came first-up, did it the hard way and fought to the wire. The track dried down the next few races and the times were quicker, but in his race I knew he put in a better mile than what the actual time indicated.”

Andreoli Hanover (post seven, Mike Saftic, 2-1) is another who will be sweep minded on Saturday, having posted back-to-back 1:51.1 scores, also showing different racing styles in both miles.

“I think that he likes to come off a helmet best,” Sims said of Mattscape Seelster, a son of the Matt’s Scooter mare Mattjestic. “He’s seems to kick down the hardest doing it that way.”

The Perretti Farms-bred raced once last season, a second place finish in late December. So far in 2005, he has been gold, pacing to a 7-6-0 record from his 15 starts.

If all goes well, Sims has indicated that there is a possibility of Mattscape Seelster going to western Canada to take in some stakes action.

“If he comes out of this well, we’ve been talking about flying him out to the Nat Christie (August 28, at Calgary, Alberta’s Stampede Park),” he said.

The complete field is as follows:

The Summertime Series
Head # – Horse – Post Position – Driver – Trainer – Line
1 – Super Eighty Eight – (post 2) – L. Ouellette – M. Ford – 4-1
1A – Magnum – (post 9) – C. Christoforou – M. Ford – 4-1
2 – Mattscape Seelster – (post 1) – R. Mayotte – J. Sims – 8-5
3 – Fastest Rustler – (post 3) – M. Baillargeon – R. McNair – 20-1
4 – Blue Burner – (post 4) – S. Condren – S. Forbes – 12-1
5 – Dreamy Sonata – (post 5) – Ma. MacDonald – P. MacKenzie – 15-1
6 – Hes A Nice Guy – (post 6) – Ra. Waples – W. Elliott – 7-1
7 – Andreoli Hanover – (post 7) – M. Saftic – M. Harder – 2-1
8 – DJs Legacy – (post 8) – Ph. Hudon – G. McClure – 25-1
9 – Keystone Mystery – (post 10) – A. Kerwood – J. Kopas – 15-1
10 – NF Signature – (post AE1) – C. Christoforou – D. McCall – 30-1

Note: All horses will be racing from the retention barn.

Another point of interest regarding the Summertime; the winners of the 2003 and 2004 editions were unbeaten throughout the series and have gone on to be very respectable performers down the road.

Escape The Wind, the 2003 champion, won the finale in 1:52.3 and has gone on to earn over $900,000 in his career, notch a mark of 1:48.3 and win multiple stakes.

Dr No, a 1:51.1 winner in the 2004 final, is currently a Woodbine track record co-holder, having put in a 1:48.2 mile on June 11. The son of No Nukes also recently captured the $700,000 Haughton Memorial at the Meadowlands.

Monday’s Town Pro Series finale drawn

The field for the C$57,800 final of the Town Pro Series has been drawn, and, along with the C$130,000 O.S.S. Gold Final for two-year-old colt and gelding pacers, it will highlight Monday evening’s card of racing from Mohawk.

The eighth annual Town Pro is for three-year-old trotting fillies and has been programmed as the seventh race, heading to post at 9:26 p.m. (est.).

The Gold Final has been carded as the fifth race and has an expected post time of 8:44 p.m.

Both races can be seen live coast-to-coast in Canada on The Score Television Network’s Race Night on The Score.

First race post time is 7:20 p.m.

The fields for both races are listed below.

Town Pro
Head # – Horse – Post Position – Listed Driver – Trainer
1 – Lady Meghan O – (post 2) – J. Moiseyev – D. Smith
1A – Armbro Caviar – (post 8) – S. Condren – D. Smith
2 – Ifyoucouldcwhati C – (post 1) – L. Ouellette – W. Elliott
3 – Angels Have Wings – (post 3) – M. Saftic – R. McNair
4 – Artists Eye – (post 4) – Ph. Hudon – B. MacDonald
5 – Dreamless Hall – (post 5) – J. Jamieson – C. Jamieson
6 – Lasensa – (post 6) – Ma. MacDonald – J. Libby
7 – A Perfect Jenna – (post 7) – M. Baillargeon – J. Seekman
8 – Bound For Glory – (post 9) – P. MacDonell – T. O’Sullivan
9 – Dream Card – (post 10) – S. Condren – B. Burgess
10 – Armbro Cashmere – (post AE1) – J. Moiseyev – N. Varty

O.S.S. Gold Final
Post – Horse – Listed Driver – Trainer – (Sire/Dam)
1 – Streak Of Luck – Ra. Waples – W. Elliott – (Camluck/Mallbreaker)
2 – Fast N Famous – L. Ouellette – R. McNair – (Apaches Fame/Tls Trish)
3 – Northern Cowboy – Mi. Horner – Ma. Horner – (Rustler Hanover/Ageless Beauty)
4 – Mr Willpower – K. Oliver – A. MacDonald – (Apache Max/Direct Opening)
5 – Alastor Hanover – M. Baillargeon – M. Ford – (Rustler Hanover/Aurora Seelster)
6 – U Lucky Guy – S. Condren – T. Pinske – (Northern Luck/CK Angel)
7 – Wingandaprayer – R. Mayotte – R. Atkin – (Grinfromeartoear/Rowdy Angel)
8 – Spokesman – S. Condren – M. Preszcator – (Camluck/Simply Ravishing)
9 – Apaches Banker – J. Moiseyev – J. Stutzman – (Apaches Fame/Fernbank Fannie)
10 – Armbro Domi – M. Saftic – G. Gordon – (Camluck/Shady Willow)
AE1 – Daylon Classic – J. Jamieson – C. Jamieson – (Astreos/Daylon Tinsel)
AE2 – Impeccable – Dr. I. Moore – Dr. I. Moore – (Astreos/Tenteen)

Note: Both fields will be competing from the retention barn.

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