(Photo of Doug McNair and Action Majesty courtesy of Iron Horse Photo)
James MacDonald climbed onto the race bike behind Future Headlines for the first time at Grand River Raceway on Monday evening and piloted the three-year-old pacing filly to her first victory of the year in a personal best 1:54.1.
Starting from Post 2 in the first of two $95,600 Gold Series divisions, MacDonald was able to follow post-sitter Fade into the first turn. Content to shadow Fade through fractions of :27.3, :56.2 and 1:25.2, MacDonald waited until the fillies were squared up in the stretch before tipping Future Headlines to the outside and pointing her at the finish line. Sure of her goal, fan favourite Future Headlines powered home to a one and one-quarter length victory. Pacesetter Fade settled for second and 2016 division champion Yaris Bayama was third.
“It worked out really good,” said MacDonald. “I didn’t know how the race would set up, you never really know, sometimes you think everyone’s going to leave and no one does, and sometimes you think no one is going to leave and everyone does. So I was really happy with the trip I could get and she responded perfectly.
“She just had to use her speed for really an eighth of a mile, so when she came out she went by them, and she did it very easy,” added the Guelph, ON resident.
MacDonald crafted the win for trainer Colin Johnson of Repentigny, QC and his partners Thomas Kyron of Toronto, ON, David Heffering of Port Perry, ON and By The Beach Stable of Brick, NJ. The daughter of Sportswriter and 2008 freshman Grassroots champion Tomorrowpan ($546,291), Future Headlines was a $20,000 acquisition from the 2015 Harrisburg Yearling Sale and has now banked $177,530 for her owners in 14 lifetime starts.
“Any time you can win those races, they’re not easy to win, so any time you can win a Gold, you’ve done something right,” said MacDonald, who will have a second chance to put the filly in a Gold Series winner’s circle on July 22 at Mohawk Racetrack.
In the second Gold division Action Majesty got a confident gate-to-wire steer from Guelph resident Doug McNair. Leaving from Post 2 McNair sent the fan’s second choice straight to the front and rolled through fractions of :27.2, :57.3 and 1:25.3 without facing a serious challenge. The pair sailed under the wire one and one-quarter length winners in 1:54, besting favourite Soiree Seelster and Aint Three Ok.
“She is handy on a small track, that made my job a lot easier,” said McNair. “She’s always had quick speed, I usually use it late on the big track, but that’s tough to do on a half.”
The Royal Mattjesty daughter is trained by the driver’s father Gregg McNair, also of Guelph, for owner-breeder Kenneth Sommer of Sheffield, OH. Monday’s win was Action Majesty’s first of the sophomore campaign. A two-time Gold Series winner at two, the filly has earned $203,642 in her 12-race career.
“She’s been racing against the best fillies in North America, and racing good against them, so hopefully she keeps it up as the year goes on,” noted McNair.
Both Action Majesty and Future Headlines competed against North America’s best in the Fan Hanover Final at Mohawk Racetrack on June 17, finishing seventh and fifth respectively, and their connections are hoping they continue to deliver at a high level through the rest of the stakes season.
Ontario Sires Stakes action returns to Grand River Raceway on Wednesday, July 19 with the third Grassroots event of the season for the three-year-old trotting fillies.
More Top Racing Headlines