Rick Crispi's Jess Carolinas Award got a jump on his eight rivals soon after the start of Monday's $54,650 Ontario Sired Stakes Derby and grabbed his first stakes win by a head on closing day of the 2020 Ajax Downs season.
The 3-year-old Ontario-bred Quarter Horse, ridden by Cory Spataro, was coming into the final of the OSS Derby off a win in one of two Trials held Oct. 12. Trained by Tom Dunlap, Jess Carolinas Award held off a charging Shaken, who had won the other trial for owner Chantelle Bourgeois and jockey Cassandra Jeschke. Longshot Down in Carolina, ridden by Ismael Mosquiera for Amelie Aubut closed fast for third in the 350-yard race for horses sired by an Ontario stallion. The time was :18.285 for a 79 speed index. (
Video).
The victory by Jess Carolinas Award was one of three victories on the day for Crispi of Guelph, ON, landing him in a tie with James Bogar of Cameron for leading owner by wins at 14 apiece. Bogar won a pair of races on Monday with Barry Wood training to match Crispi atop the leaderboard.
Jockey ED WALTON picked up his 35th winner of the 21-day meeting Monday to top all riders, holding off Cory Spataro who won three races on closing day to finish the year with 32 victories. It was a career year for Walton, 56, who at almost 6 feet tall is one of the continent's tallest horsebackers. His mounts earned over $434,000 during the season.
JASON PASCOE of Pontypool captured his third consecutive trainer's title with 23 wins leading Tom Dunlap and Craig Spade who each had 16 victories.
ONE KOOL DYNASTY, trained by Pascoe for owner Belinda Taggart, was one of five horses that won a meet-leading four races in 2020 and she led all earners on the year with $47,454. The 3-year-old Ontario-bred won the Princess Derby, finished second in the Ontario Bred Derby and third in the Picov Derby in a 10-race campaign.
Monday's co-featured $22,350 QROOI Distance Series-3 was won by Milena Kwiecien's SPY FOR THE SENATE who had won the first leg of the Distance series in July. Spy for the Senate won the 440-yard race under Mosquiera by half a length over Maryland Magic and Picov Championship winner Fiesty Icon in a time of 22.0005 for a 97 speed index.
*AJAX DOWNS resumes Quarter Horse racing in May 2021. Be sure to keep up-to-date on Ajax Downs racing at AjaxDowns.com and on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (@AjaxDowns)
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Photo by New Image Media
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