from the Ontario Sires Stakes

Dundas, ON — Trainer Ben Baillargeon says Tessa Seelster may not be the prettiest filly to watch on the racetrack, but when it comes to grit and heart the 3-year-old pacing filly has no equal.

“She’s a very gutsy mare, because she almost died as a 2-year-old,” explained Baillargeon. “She was on the operating table for colic surgery and the small bowel ruptured so they had to sew it by hand, and the chance of her surviving was about slim and none.”

Not only did Tessa Seelster survive the surgery, she went on to race as a 2-year-old, posting two victories in seven starts, and on Thursday evening (Oct. 1) she captured her first Ontario Sires Stakes trophy in Gold Series action at Flamboro Downs.

Starting from post three in the first $79,800 division, driver Mario Baillargeon settled Tessa Seelster into fourth as fan favorite Solar Sister fired off the starting gate to a :27.1 opening quarter. The resinman kept Tessa Seelster in fourth through the :56.1 half and then sent the daughter of Shadow Play up the outside, reaching the 1:24.4 three-quarters with a narrow lead. Tessa Seelster stayed game down the stretch, holding off Maplelea for a three-quarter length victory in 1:53.1. Capela was well behind the leaders in third.

“The half-mile is not her best asset, and she still made it today, so I am very pleased with the result,” said Baillargeon, who conditions the filly for Richard Berthiaume. “Very pleased with the result and looking forward to next week.”

Tessa Seelster and the other nine leading point earners from the five regular season Gold events will make their next start in the C$250,000 Super Final at Woodbine Racetrack on Oct. 10.

“She will try her heart out anyway, because she’s a very gutsy mare,” noted Baillargeon.

Among the fillies joining Tessa Seelster on the starting gate at Woodbine will be Thursday’s other division winner, Glamour Seelster.

With Doug McNair in the race bike Glamour Seelster fired off the starting gate from post two and landed third on the rail as fan favorite Wrangler Magic led the field to a :28.1 opening quarter. The pair continued to sit third as Wrangler Magic paced by the half in :57, then circled around the leaders to take command before the 1:25 three-quarters. From there Glamour Seelster cruised home a 1-1/2 length winner in 1:53, with Ms Mac N Cheese and Wrangler Magic crossing the finish line in her wake.

“She’s a high speed filly, she can pace as fast as any horse I’ve driven for a piece,” said McNair. “She’s getting better every week.”

The driver’s father, Gregg McNair, conditions Glamour Seelster for Lindsey and Connie Rankin. The win, her first in Gold Series action, improved the Jereme’s Jet daughter’s record to seven wins, one second and one third in 11 starts and boosted her earnings to $118,777.

In addition to the sophomore pacing fillies’ last regular season Gold event, Flamboro Downs also hosted the regular season finale for the 2-year-old pacing colts on Thursday.

Two-time Grassroots winner Continual Hanover made the move to the Gold Series level look easy, reeling in pacesetter Arsenic in the stretch to post a three-quarter length victory in 1:55.1. Fan favorite Nocturnal Bluechip was hot on Arsenic’s heels in third.

“He’s always been right on the cusp of the Gold, but it was a bit easier to stay with the Grassroots,” said driver Jody Jamieson of Continual Hanover. “Tonight he was real good, and dodged (division leaders) Voracity, Betting Line and Nvestment Bluechip, which is always good.”

Jack Darling owns and trains Continual Hanover, who qualified for the freshman pacing colt Super Final with Thursday’s victory. The Bettor’s Delight-Current Hanover colt will require a new driver for the Oct. 10 test as Jamieson is already committed to division point leader Nvestment Bluechip, but he says the colt is a legitimate player in the season finale.

“I think he’s got a good chance with the right trip,” said Jamieson of Continual Hanover’s prospects. “He’s peaking at the right time.”

In the second pacing colt division, Semi Automatic earned his second Gold trophy with an effortless 6-1/2 length score over New Talent and Cruise Patrol. The fan favorite and driver James MacDonald hit the wire in 1:55.

“Semi was great tonight. He has had a great year,” said MacDonald of the Badlands Hanover-Topgun Lady son. “Tonight he was pacing great, drew well (post two), so I moved him to the front and he controlled the race and won pretty handy.”

MacDonald crafted the win for trainer Tony O’Sullivan and his partners Let It Ride Stables Inc. and J and T Silva Stables LLC. The win bumped Semi Automatic into second spot in the division standings with 142 points from two wins, one second, one third and one fifth in the five regular season Gold events.

The Gold Series regular season wraps up at Woodbine Racetrack on Friday (Oct. 2) with two C$105,000 divisions for the 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings, and then the Toronto oval will welcome the best horses from each division for the C$2 million Super Final Night on Oct. 10.