by Ashley Mayotte, WEG communications
Campbellville, ON — A quartet of C$40,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold eliminations for freshman trotting fillies were contested on Monday evening (August 8) at Mohawk Racetrack. Cool Creek Breeze, Destiny’s Magic, Princess Fortune and Circles found the winner’s circle and advanced to next week’s C$130,000 final.
Cool Creek Breeze won the opening elimination in a time of 1:59.
In the first elimination, Mario Baillargeon guided Cool Creek Breeze to her second career victory in three starts as she stopped the timer in 1:59.
Kylie Hall and Hall of Famer Doug Brown led past the opening panel in :29.2. Sent off at odds of 3-1, Cool Creek Breeze began the first-over attack and found the front past the midway point in 1:01. Kylie Hall popped the pocket before the final turn and the pair of freshman fillies were strides apart past three-quarters in 1:30.1 and in deep stretch, Kylie Hall and Cool Creek Breeze were inseparable.
Baillargeon asked the daughter of Angus Hall-Balanced Breeze for more trot and she responded to score the win by a neck over Kylie Hall. Zorgwijk Mercedes (Stuart Sowerby) completed the triactor.
Trained and co-owned by Ben Baillargeon, Cool Creek Breeze has a record of 2-1-0 in three starts. With the victory, she lifted her rookie earnings to $38,980 for co-owner/breeder Diane Ingham. Cool Creek Breeze was a $97,000 yearling purchase and is a half-sister to Casual Breeze ($1,314,075). The bay filly paid $8.60 to win as the second choice.
Destiny’s Magic finished second in the second tilt, but when the 1-2 favorite, Witch Way, broke stride just steps before the wire, the Daniel Lagace trainee inherited the victory.
Witch Way (Randy Waples) took the field to a :29.3 opening panel. Driver Paul MacDonell and Destiny’s Magic came first-up from fourth and cleared the front before hitting the half in 1:00. The pair held the lead past the three-quarters in 1:29.3.
In the stretch, Witch Way angled out from the pocket to trot on by Destiny’s Magic, but rolled off stride, stopping the clock in 1:59. The filly was placed second for a lapped on break then placed fifth for causing interference. Destiny’s Magic clocked her own mile in 1:59.1. Phoenix Goal (Wayne Henry) finished second and The Magic Of Paris (Robert Shepherd) was third.
Destiny’s Magic, a daughter of Kadabra-Gracious Glide, has a record of 2-1-1 in five starts and earnings of $67,468 in her debut season for owners Lagace, Jack Darling Stables Ltd. and Michelle Gagne. Destiny’s Magic paid $10.70 to win as the second choice.
In the third elimination, Anthony MacDonald guided Princess Fortune to an off-the-pace, maiden breaking score in 1:57.2.
Tyrany Seelster (Mario Baillargeon) led past the opening quarter in :29.1. Heading towards the half, Dancehall Mistress (Trevor Ritchie) angled to the outside, but couldn’t clear the lead past the half in :58.4. Princess Fortune, the odds on favorite, was sitting a comfortable second-over as Tyrany Seelster and Dancehall Mistress were matching strides past three-quarters in 1:28.
At the seven-eighths-mile marker, MacDonald was still in third, but the daughter of Mac’s Crown K-Hi Noon’s Fortune was gaining racetrack and would find the wire first, three-quarters of a length over Dancehall Mistress. Tyrany Seelster finished third.
Bred and owned by Robert Key, Princess Fortune has freshman earnings of $35,869 and a record of 1-1-1 in five starts for trainer Paul Reid. The brown filly paid $4.30 to win.
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Circles captured the fourth and fastest elimination in a time of 1:57.
Circles captured the fourth and final elimination for trainer/owner John Smith. The 2-year-old filly notched her third win in five career starts with Hall of Famer Jacques Hebert in the sulky.
I’m On Cloud Nine (Luc Ouellette) took the field to the first quarter in :27.2, but Circles made a bid for the front from third, cleared before the half in :58.1 and remained the tempo-setter past three-quarters in 1:28.2.
Into the final turn, the 9-5 favorite, Counter Pointe (Wayne Henry), came first-over from fourth, but was unsuccessful in reaching Circles who opened up a 2-3/4 length lead as she got under the wire in a career best clocking of 1:57, the fastest time of all four eliminations. Frisky Strike (Steve Byron) got up for second and Crystal Rayne (Mario Baillargeon) was third.
Circles, a daughter of Majestic Son-Merles Image, has a record of 3-2-0 in five starts and boasts career earnings of $129,925 in her debut season.
Hebert is no stranger to this family as he has been in the sulky for the rookie’s successful siblings McCooeye ($1,022,632), Merles Pearl ($293,642), Potato Race ($224,744), Buckhams Bay ($300,649) and Magoo ($203,197).
Circles paid $7.40 to win as the second choice.
The top two finishers from each elimination, along with two third-place finishers, which were drawn by lot, advance to next Monday’s C$130,000 OSS Gold Final.
Here’s how the 2-year-old trotting fillies will line up behind the gate for the rich final: 1. Phoenix Goal, 2. Kylie Hall, 3. Princess Fortune, 4. Destiny’s Magic, 5. Circles, 6. Tyrany Seelster, 7. Cool Creek Breeze, 8. Dancehall Mistress, 9. Zorgwijk Mercedes, 10. Frisky Strike, AE1. The Magic Of Paris, AE2. Crystal Rayne, AE3. Twin B Sensation.