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

Toronto, December 18, 2004… Three-year-old pacing fillies are set to put an early charge into Monday’s C$18,000 second leg of the Niagara Series at Woodbine. Last week’s three opening leg victors, Briars Luck, Retsina and Alls Well will all face off in Race 2 (8:02 p.m.), the opening division that the evening has to offer.

Along with the opener, the second division (Race 4, 8:44 p.m.) can be seen live, coast to coast in Canada, on The Score Television Network, which goes to air at 7:30 p.m. Running through until 10:00 p.m., The Score will air the first seven races, but will not be able to show the third and final Niagara division of the night, which has been slated as Race 8 (10:05 p.m.).

Alls Well, a roan Rustler Hanover filly, captured her opening leg split in 1:54.3 by 1¼-lengths and has been installed as the 8-5 morning line favorite for Monday. Drawing the outside seven-hole, Alls Well is conditioned by Guelph, Ontario’s Gregg McNair and will again be driven by Mike Saftic. Accumulating a seasonal resume of 4-1-1 and $32,581 in earnings from 17 starts, Alls Well lowered her life’s mark last week after starting from post position eight. A homebred of Mount Vernon, Ohio’s Emerald Highlands Farm, Alls Well has $39,081 in overall earnings and raced four times as a two-year-old, finishing second three times. Alls Well is a filly out of the Jate Lobell mare Water Well.

Joining Retsina as a 5-2 second choice in the morning line, Briars Luck has drawn post position two for the dash and will again have pilot Mark MacDonald calling the shots. A daughter of Northern Luck, Briars Luck notched a quarter-length tally in her split last week, stopping the clock in 1:55.2 while racing as a 6-1 shot. Out of the Threefold mare Briar Classic, Briars Luck currently has a 7-2-2 record and $45,601 in earnings this season after 20 starts. Windsor, Ontario’s Michael Cecile owns the brown filly.

Racing as a 22-1 shot last week, Retsina (Towners Big Guy—Between The Hedges) produced the biggest upset of the opening leg, as she took her split in a life’s mark 1:55.2. Owned by conditioner Charalambos Christoforou along with his partner, Ted Perioris, Retsina notched her first win of the season last week and has drawn the four-hole for this coming Monday. After 10 starts this season, Retsina has a record of 1-1-1 and $11,655 in earnings. Retsina raced eight times as a two-year-old and assembled a 1-1-1 record, good for $15,750 in purses. Sporting a $26,672 overall bankroll, Retsina will be driven in the second leg by Chris Christoforou, who handled the her in the first leg.

Even after drawing the outside nine-hole, Lady Arc has still been instilled as the 9-5 morning line favorite in the second split. Conditioned by Brett Robinson and to be driven this week by Steve Condren, Lady Arc, who is owned by Thornhill, Ontario’s Big Als Stables Inc., is coming in after finishing second by 1¼-lengths to Alls Well in the first leg. An Artsplace bay out of the Cam Fella mare Truly A Lady, Lady Arc has a 3-3-2 record and $35,596 earned this season after 13 starts. Having banked $4,198 as a two-year-old (yet without any on-the-board finishes), Lady Arc has $39,794 earned overall on her card and a mark of 1:53.2, which was taken on Oct. 28 of this year.

Another pupil of Brett Robinson, Emotionaliscape has garnered the morning line favorite status (2-1) for the third division. Having finished second by 1¼-lengths to Retsina last week, Emotionaliscape, who is to be driven by Steve Condren, will start from post position two in the eight-horse field. An Artiscape bay out of the No Nukes mare Emotional, Emotionaliscape is coming into the dash with a seasonal resume which reads 4-8-0 and $26,371 in earnings after 17 starts. Unraced as a two-year-old and holding a mark of 1:55.2, Emotionaliscape is owned by Big Als Stables Inc. along with fellow Ontario residents David Smith, Corrine Ryan and Marysa Snider.

The fields are as follows:

Division 1

PP – Horse – Driver – Trainer – Line

1 – Charlottes Isis – P. MacDonell – R. Zeron – 7-1
2 – Briars Luck – Ma. MacDonald – M. Austin – 5-2
3 – Real Spicy – M. Baillargeon – G. Wright Jr – 20-1
4 – Retsina – C. Christoforou – C. Christoforou – 5-2
5 – Mishnoon – J. Jamieson – M. Bishop – 8-1
6 – Taylorlane Action – S. Condren – C. Harvey – 12-1
7 – Alls Well – M. Saftic – G. McNair – 8-5

Division 2

PP – Horse – Driver – Trainer – Line

1 – Fernbank Franny – K. Oliver – W. O’Donnell – 15-1
2 – Enduring Courage – Ma. MacDonald – M. Hales – 9-2
3 – L Dees Rosemel – C. Beelby – C. Beelby – 5-2
4 – Velvet N Pearls – P. MacDonell – R. Fife – 10-1
5 – Wacky Panda – M. Saftic – R. Moreau – 10-1
6 – Chilly Soup – R. Bouvier – R. Bouvier – 20-1
7 – Vegas Girl – C. Christoforou – L. Eftimiadis – 15-1
8 – Miss Coalie – M. Baillargeon – M. Ford – 7-1
9 – Lady Arc – S. Condren – B. Robinson – 9-5

Division 2

PP – Horse – Driver – Trainer – Line

1 – B R Nasty Raider – R. Mayotte – T. Gray – 7-2
2 – Emotionaliscape – S. Condren – B. Robinson – 2-1
3 – Noble Sami – C. Christoforou – C. Christoforou – 10-1
4 – G Vs Cam Can – M. Saftic – G. Sholty – 6-1
5 – Northwestern – T. Kerwood – J. Kopas – 3-1
6 – Tricky Fame – K. Oliver – W. Companion – 8-1
7 – Kesons Glory – J. Jamieson – D. Williams – 20-1
8 – Queen Diva – Ma. MacDonald – B. Macinnis – 10-1