(PHOTO - ALAKAZAAM (blue) is unbeaten in 3 races in 2016 and won the fastest trial for the upcoming Ontario Sires Stakes Derby with a 96 speed index - New Image Media/photo)
The geldings Alakazaam, Speedocracy and the filly Ice Fishn put on dazzling displays of speed on June 19 at Ajax Downs to win three very quick trials for the $55,000-added Ontario Sires Stakes Derby. A total of 10 Ontario sired 3-year-olds who qualified from the trials set up an exciting final on July 3.
Full Circle Racing and Cummings Cattle Co.’s Alakazaam had the fastest trial time in his remarkable rally in the third trial, race 6 on the afternoon. The flashy sorrel 3-year-old, trained by Greg Watson, had a couple of lengths to make up on runaway leader Hope Rambles On and just edged that one at the finish of the 350-yard dash.
The time of :17.720 was good for a 96 speed index for both Alakazaam, who was ridden by Chelsey Willick, and Hope Rambles On, owned by Richard Wincikaby and DK Training Centre. That pair were 2 ¾ lengths ahead of third-place finisher Yawl Keep Texting.
Alkazaam has won four consecutive races (he was disqualified from one of those) and the Maryland-bred by Mezoomn is unbeaten in three starts this season.
Watson was in the winner’s circle in the previous race, the second of the $9,000 trial races when Stephanie Keeble’s Ice Fishn ran to her 3 to 5 odds and swept past her rivals in a hand ride by Danielle Dibert to win by half a length. The grey filly by Iced N Oak out of Fisher Lines by Fishers Dash was bred by Full Circle Racing. Her time of :17.920 was good for a 90 speed index.
(PHOTO - STEPHANIE KEEBLE and her fast filly Ice Fishn along with trainer Greg Watson)
George Coleman’s Speedocracy sped to a 1 ½ length victory in the first trial, his second start of the season. Trained by Scott Reid, the bay son of Its All About Speed – Hotdoggin Baby Doll by Hotdoggin was never challenged and he kept Blue Speedo, owned by Full Circle Racing, in second-place while Kinda Likea Lovesong had good late energy to be third. The time of :17.860 earned Speedocracy a 92 speed index.
“He’s not the normal shaped Quarter Horse,” said winning rider Cassandra Jeschke. “He’s tall and lanky but he really likes to run and he tries hard.”
Ice n Snow, who started from the rail post in the trial, veered inwards at the gap out of the gate and lost rider Cory Spataro before hitting the portable railing but both rider and horse were reported to be fine.
The 10 qualifiers for the Ontario Sires Stakes Derby are listed below.
(PHOTO - Long, lean and lanky SPEEDOCRACY took the first OSS Derby trial for owner George Coleman - New Image Media photos)
More races from Sunday
The afternoon’s first race introduced fans to the first 2-year-old Quarter Horses of the meeting in a 250-yard maiden allowance. One of the six entrants had a race to her credit, the filly Frey Kool who competed at Indiana Downs in June 7, but it was
Home to Vegas who scampered away from the field to win by a widening length for owners Marie Broadstock and Brian Samis.
A bay Ontario bred colt by Down Home Dash – Cash Into Vegas, by Gold Medal Jess, Home to Vegas is trained by Bob Broadstock and was ridden by Tony Phillips. The time was :13.540 for an 86 speed index. Dr. Gayle Sommer is the breeder of Home to Vegas.
Race 2 was a speed index race and
Theydontlikemyname, making her third start of the season, held off a group of closers to win the 330 yard sprint by a long neck under Neil Husbands. The 6-year-old sorrel mare is owned and was bred by Christine Tavares and trained by Joe Tavares. Theydontlikemyname is by Sugarman Perry from the mare Elans Lucky Charm, by Special Elan and it was her fourth career win in her 29
th start. The mare had finished second in a 110-yard dash on June 5 and stretched out to 330 yards well, posting a time of :17.110 for an 87 speed index.
Casino Love Mill overcame a stumbling beginning to win race 3, a claiming event for $7,000, by three-quarters of length under Mike Holmes. The bay 4-year-old filly, bred in Texas, is owned by Renee Wilson and trained by Tom Dunlap. It was the second start of the season for the daughter of Papa Larry and she now has two wins in six starts. Her time for 250-yards was a sharp :13.450, good for a career best 90 speed index.
Bold Moon Arising gave owner and trainer Les Baker his first win of the 2016 season with a narrow win in race 7, a maiden claiming event for Ontario-breds. The winner is a 4-year-old sorrel colt by Black Moons Arising out of Lady Cal by Calyx.
Baker also bred the winner and Brian Bell was the winning rider. Bold Moon Arising raced the 300-yards in :15.960 for an 82 speed index.
The afternoon’s final race, a maiden allowance for 3-year-olds and upward worth $14,400, went to even-money favourite
Memory of Jay, owned, bred and trained by Erik and Joyce Lehtinen. Memory of Jay was impressive in his 1 ½ length victory in :16,90 for 330 yards, a 94 speed index. The son of Jesse James – Is It Memorex by leaving Memories was coming off a second-place finisher in the AQHA Ajax Maiden Challenge final to Country Boy 123.
Wagering at Ajax Downs through the first seven cards of the 2016 meeting is
up a strong 42.2% with two less individual races this year. On-track wagering has also increased.
“We set a new record for live on track handle [on June 19],” said Emilio Trotta, CEO of racing operations at Ajax. “Our previous largest on track live handle was $25,311 over 10 races. [On Sunday] we did $26,958 over 8 races., an increase of 6.5%.”
So far this year we have wagered live on track $108,635 on 50 races and last year same point we wagered $97,268 on 52 races., an increase of 11.7%.”
QUALIFIERS FOR 2016 Ontario Sires Stakes Derby - 350 YARDS
(Trials - Sun, June 19; Final - Sun, July 3/16)
Horse Race # Post Time Finish Trainer Jockey Owner
Alakazaam 6 7 17.72 1 Watson Willick Full Circle/Cummings
Hope Rambles On 6 1 17.72 1 Reid, D Bell Wincikaby/DK
Speedocracy 4 6 17.86 1 Reid, S Jeschke Coleman
Ice Fishn 5 8 17.92 1 Watson DiBert Keeble
Hal Bent 5 1 18.01 2 Grice Phillips Hunter
Faster Than U 5 6 18.09 3 Horton Jeschke Menard
Sugarmans Delight 5 7 18.12 4 Tavares Husbands Tavares
Blue Speedo 4 3 18.15 2 Watson Willick Full Circle
Hammer Tyme 5 5 18.21 5 Pascoe Spataro Big Dog
Kinda Likea Lovesong 4 8 18.22 3 Tavares Husbands Picov Cattle
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