AJAX DOWNS, OCTOBER 20, 2021 - Don't tell nine-year-old
FIESTY ICON you can't teach an older horse new tricks.
Ajax Downs' reigning Quarter Horse of the Year won his first attempt at the "Gridiron Gallop", at the unique distance of just 110-yards on Wednesday, with an impressive finish. The tall Ontario-bred gelding, owned and trained by Rick Kennedy, broke well from post position eight under jockey Tony Phillips and launched a powerful surge to grab the lead from favoured Maryland Magic to win by a head. Fiesty Icon sped the distance in 6.907 for a strong 99 speed index.
The gelding was clocked at 64 km/h while racing with a 10 mph tailwind.
"I know it was a much different distance for him today," said Phillips. "But he's got that big, long stride, he levels out and finds another kick."
Fiesty Icon, who was also Ajax Downs' Horse of the Year in 2015, won the Picov Maturity at 300-yards in July and the Ontario Sires Stakes Maturity in August. He was coming off a fourth-place finish behind Had to Be Ivory in the Ontario Bred Maturity at 400 yards on Sept. 29.
Fiesty Icon paid $8.70 as the 3 to 1 third choice. It was the 22nd career win from 55 races in his illustrious career. His earnings stand at $392,986. The son of Ontario stallion Sugarman Perry was bred by Picov Cattle Company.
*A huge day of racing is on tap for next
Wednesday, October 27, the penultimate racing day of the 2021 season with three stakes races and an Ontario Sires Stakes/Ajax Downs
t-shirt giveaway (with program purchase). The $100,000 final of the Alex Picov Memorial Futurity for 2-year-olds headlines an exciting card which will include the $50,000 Alex Picov Memorial Championship for older horses and the Ontario Sired Stakes Derby, worth $50,000, for 3-year-olds.
Fans can register to attend the races by visiting
www.ajaxdowns.com. First race post time is 12:55.
Keep up to date on Quarter Horse racing at Ajax Downs by following us on social media, @AjaxDowns. The QROOI (
www.qrooi.com) represents all horsepeople in Quarter Horse racing and offers options to become involved in the ownership of your own Quarter Horse.
Replay of the "Gridiron Gallop", Oct. 20 -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFlVk_qJUxI
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