August 19, 2022
By Ajax Downs / Jennifer Morrison
AUGUST 18, 2022 - For a great afternoon of horse racing and family fun, come out to Ajax Downs this Sunday, August 21, 2022, for the track's popular fundraiser,
FAMILY FUN DAY, beginning at 10 a.m.
All proceeds from the afternoon's activities for kids and families will benefit the Ajax Pickering Hospital Foundation.
There will be kid's games, a chance to run on the Ajax Downs Quarter Horse track, a $5 barbeque special and the
first 1,000 kids receive a loot bag with a minimum donation.
On track, there will be plenty of excitement with the
11th running of the Ontario Bred Maturity, which offers a purse of $39,240. The Maturity goes as race 6 with a post time of 3:10 p.m. and first race post time for the afternoon's racing card is 12:55 p.m.
Headlining the Maturity, which is at the challenging distance of 400 yards for 4-year-olds and upward, is champion
HAD TO BE IVORY.
The 2019 Horse of the Year has won all three of his races in 2022 including the Picov Maturity, and is owned and bred by Carol and Jaime Robertson of HIllsburgh, ON, and trained by Carol's husband Bryn.
Had to Be Ivory has 19 career wins in 25 races and earnings of over $309,000. The 7-year-old won the Ontario Bred Maturity in 2021 and meets four rivals on Sunday with jockey Cory Spataro riding.
Ralph Pearson's tough gelding
COUNTRYS COMIN BAC, third to Had to Be Ivory in the Picov Maturity, will try to upset his arch-rival from post position 1 with Cassandra Jeschke riding.
SUGARMANS DELIGHT, winner of the Ontario Sires stakes Maturity in his last race, is another tough old-timer and the 9-year-old owned by Christine Tavares will be ridden by Ed Walton from post 2.
Completing the field is recent winner
TWIXT OF FATE, owned and trained by Barry Wood with Tony Phillips up, and
COUNTRYFRIED CHICKEN, the 2021 Ontario Derby winner, with Ricardo Moreno riding for owner Milena Kwiecien.
You can watch and wager on the racing at Ajax Downs (
www.ajaxdowns.com) from the track where admission is always free and stay around for the simulcast of the 163rd Queen's Plate from Woodbine, which has a post time of 5:42 p.m. Wagering is also available through
www.hpibet.com.
FIELD FOR THE 11TH ONTARIO BRED MATURITY
Purse $39,240, 400 yards, Race 6, Sunday, August 21, 2022
1 COUNTRYS COMIN BAC Don Reid Cassandra Jeschke 2/1
2 SUGARMANS DELIGHT Joe Tavares Ed Walton 5/2
3 TWIXT OF FATE Barry Wood Tony Phillips 3/1
4 HAD TO BE IVORY Bryn Robertson Cory Spataro 8/5
5 COUNTRYFRIED CHICKEN Jason Pascoe Ricardo Moreno 9/2
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