It was a fabulous Labour Day at Ajax Downs for jockey Tony 'TP' Phillips as the Etobicoke resident rode four winners on the eight-race card. Three of those wins were for owner James Bogar of Cameron, ON and trainer Barry Wood of Port Perry.
One of Phillips-Bogar-Wood's victories on a windy and cloudy afternoon came in a rare dead heat as their filly ROYAL HATRICK finished on even terms with Dan Giles' ICE WITCH with jockey Josh Scott in race 7.
"I was busy battling with the favourite, the number 1 horse [Panther Cool] and finally got away from him near the finish," said Phillips. "Then I looked way over and saw Josh and Ice Witch and thought 'uh oh'."
Both Royal Hatrick, who was 11 to 1, and Ice Witch, 5 to 2, are Ontario-breds and were winning for the second time in 2020.
The day's featured race, the $10,000 Gridiron Gallop, at 110-yards and the shortest race offered for Quarter Horses, was won by Steve Hunter's ZOXTOBEYOU, bred by Hunter in East Garafraxa and trained by his wife Janet Grice. The big 6-year-old had the best start in the seven-horse field under jockey Ismael Mosquiera and won by half a length in a time of 6.998 seconds for an impressive 92 speed index. It was the first win for the consistently good gelding since 2017.
"He really is the typical Quarter Horse," said Grice. "He's got the big butt on him. But for such a big horse he is very light handed and he gets along so well with Ismael who is very light with his hands."
Zoxtobeyou now 4 career wins in 31 starts and earnings of over $80,000.
Photo by Katina Milns
* You won't want to miss tuning in to next Monday's card of racing at Ajax Downs. On the schedule are Trials for the $95,000 Alex Picov Memorial Futurity for 2-year-olds, the $45,000 Picov Derby for 3-year-olds and the Ontario Bred Maturity for older horses. Post time Sept. 14 is 12:55 p.m. and you can watch and wager on the Ajax Downs races through the Horseplayer Interactive platform at
hpibet.com.
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