(Photos of driver Doug McNair and three-year-old pacing fillies Action Majesty and The Joy Luck Club courtesy of New Image Media)
Fillies trained by Gregg McNair now sit first and second in the three-year-old pacing filly point standings as Action Majesty and The Joy Luck Club triumphed in their respective Gold Series divisions at Mohawk Racetrack on Tuesday evening.
First out of the paddock for the McNair Stable was Action Majesty, who was sent off as the Race 3 favourite after winning her last two Gold Series starts in effortless fashion. Starting from Post 3 with Doug McNair in the race bike, Action Majesty took quick command of the race and loafed through fractions of :27, :56.3 and 1:25.1 before rocketing home to a two-length victory in 1:51.3. Aint Three Ok was second and top Grassroots filly Manhattan Play was third in her sophomore Gold Series debut.
“She’s been good, that was a good bunch of older mares she beat last week (Aug. 18). She got a little respect tonight,” noted trainer Gregg McNair.
“She looked like she was definitely the filly to beat in there, and once she made the lead she got things her own way. And she sprinted home, obviously :26.2, they weren’t going to make up much ground,” added driver Doug McNair. “It would have been tough for somebody to pressure her without costing themselves money, you know.”
The McNairs, based in Guelph-Eramosa Township, ON, train and drive Action Majesty for owner-breeder Kenneth Sommer of Sheffield, OH. In four Gold Series starts the daughter of Royal Mattjesty and Action Grin has posted three wins and one third for a total of 165 points and top spot in the division standings. In 11 sophomore starts she boasts a record of four wins, two seconds and one third for earnings of $195,092. Action Majesty has not finished worse than second since a seventh-place result in the June 17 Fan Hanover Final.
In the second $95,600 Gold division The Joy Luck Club also went off as the fans’ top choice, coming into the race on a three-race win streak. Lining up behind Post 6, Doug McNair eased the filly away from the starting gate and the pair was sitting fourth when Fade reached the opening quarter in :26. Feeling Blameitonthenight coming up on his flank, McNair opted to send The Joy Luck Club up the outer lane and the favourite was looking Fade in the eye by the :54.1 half. On top by two lengths at the 1:21.3 three-quarters, The Joy Luck Club held on for a one length victory in a personal best 1:50.3. Fade was second and Grassroots regular P L Kahluaa was a hard-closing third.
“She was real game,” said Doug McNair. “She’s got a big engine, the only thing is you’ve got to try to use it at the right time with her because she can get, sometimes she can get a little bit hot, but she’s been a lot better the last few starts.”
“She really zinged that third-quarter. She’s a pretty nice mare to have something left after that,” said Gregg McNair. “They’re a nice pair of mares, it’s nice to have to have them.”
Gregg McNair shares ownership of The Joy Luck Club with R A W Equine Inc. of Burlington and breeder Mark Horner of St. Marys, ON. In 20 starts this season the daughter of Camluck and Oh The Joy has netted 13 wins and three seconds for earnings of $189,657. In four Gold Series starts she now has two wins, one sixth and one seventh for a point tally of 105 and second spot in the division standings. The top 10 point earners will compete in the $225,000 Super Final at Mohawk on Oct. 14.
The three-year-old pacing fillies will wrap up their regular season at Mohawk Racetrack on Oct. 2.
In addition to their Gold Series victories, the McNairs also picked up two other wins with three-year-old pacing gelding All It Takes, a Grassroots regular, and three-year-old pacing filly Shewearsthepants, who sits atop the Grassroots point standings, and two seconds with four-year-old trotters Muscles For Life and Hill Of A Colt.
“It was a good night for Dad, I don’t know if he’s ever won four in one night at Mohawk,” said the younger McNair.
“I don’t know. I kind of think we might have at one time,” his father added. “But I don’t think we’ve had a night like that though, a couple seconds to boot, it was a good night.”
This weekend Ontario Sires Stakes action will be featured on Mohawk Racetrack’s stakes laden Friday and Saturday night cards. Three Grassroots divisions of two-year-old pacing fillies will highlight the Friday evening program, which also features the Champlain Stakes for two-year-old trotting colts and geldings and the Simcoe Stakes for three-year-old trotting fillies. On Saturday the three-year-old pacing colts will battle in a pair of Gold Series divisions on a card that also features the Champlain Stakes for both two-year-old pacing fillies and pacing colts, the Simcoe Stakes for three-year-old trotting colts and the $615,000 Canadian Pacing Derby for aged pacers. Post time for both programs is 7:30 pm.
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