AUGUST 12, 2016 – For the second straight night Mohawk Racetrack showcased Ontario's top two-year-olds in Ontario Sire Stakes Gold racing, and the trotting colts and pacing fillies put on an impressive display of speed and tenacity on the Friday evening harness racing program.
First away from the starting gate were the trotting colts and Vero Amore Bi traveled up the outside from Post 9 to a one-half length victory in 1:56.2. Reach The Peak used a pocket trip to secure the runner-up spot and pacesetter Mass Production settled for third.
"We were very pleased with him tonight," said trainer Tony Alagna. "The last start at Rideau (Aug. 4) he cleared the front and looked like he was going to win, and just got very green on the front end, and got to running out, and he made a break and finished third, placed back to fourth. But today he was much more professional, handled it and was very good."
Friday's outing was just the Manofmanymissions son's second lifetime start and Alagna was pleased to see the colt show off the talent that was visible early in his education.
"He always had a lot of speed you know, we were really happy with him," said Alagna. "He trained down in Florida and he always showed he had a lot of gears, and now that he's starting to put it all together, he's really starting to show the talent he has."
The Manalapan, NJ resident shares ownership of Vero Amore Bi with Crawford Partners LLC of Syracuse, NY and Mystical Marker Farms LLC of Valparaiso, IN. The group offered up $20,000 for the trotter at last fall's Lexington-Selected Sale and have recouped $40,600 after two starts. Milton, ON resident Randy Waples was in the race bike for both outings.
Vero Amore Bi
Mister Bianco captured the second $70,000 trotting colt Gold division in similar style, touring up the outside after getting away fifth from Post 1 and reeling in the leaders in the stretch. The Muscle Mass son and driver Mike Saftic of Campbellville hit the wire in 1:57.2, a neck ahead of Mister Muscle and two and three-quarter lengths ahead of fan favourite Rose Run Speedster.
Waterdown resident Bill Budd conditions Mister Bianco for Brad Gray of Dundas, ON, who acquired the colt for $20,000 from the Forest City Yearling Sale. Friday's start was Mister Bianco's first and comes off just one qualifying effort at Mohawk on July 26.
Mister Bianco
The final trotting colt division went to Tycoon Seelster, who popped out of the pocket in the stretch and accelerated away from pacesetter Life Well Lived to a one and one-quarter length victory in a personal best 1:57. Life Well Lived settled for second and Lucys Man completed the top three.
Guelph resident Paul MacDonell piloted Tycoon Seelster to his second win for trainer Scott McEneny of Waterdown and owner Chris Storms of Picton, ON. A $23,000 purchase from the Forest City Yearling Sale, the son of Angus Hall and Travelin Lavec won a Grassroots division at Georgian Downs in the July 9 season opener and then finished in a dead heat for third in his Gold Series debut at Mohawk Racetrack on July 25.
Tycoon Seelster
Soiree Seelster turned in an impressive effort in the first of two pacing filly Gold divisions. The Big Jim lass got away fifth from Post 5 and then stepped into the outer lane heading for the halfway marker. After reeling in pacesetter Windy Sport, the fan favourite gamely held off a sprinting Bid Writer to earn a nose victory in 1:52.2. Bid Writer finished second and Future Headlines was third.
The gritty mile was a personal best for Soiree Seelster, who has been driven to three straight victories by Milton resident Sylvain Filion.
"She acts like she's a pretty nice filly, so the time was pretty impressive, and the way she did it was ultra-impressive – to come first up and fight a horse off – so that was pretty impressive, but not a surprise, she's a nice filly," said trainer Tony O'Sullivan, who shares ownership of the talented youngster with Domenic Chiaravalle of Hamilton and Lorne Keller of Exeter, ON.
Through four starts Soiree Seelster now has three wins and one third for earnings of $107,600. A $53,000 acquisition from the Forest City Yearling Sale, the long-legged filly leads the division standings with 112 points through the first three events.
"I do think she'll get better as the year goes on, and I think she could mature and be better next year, just because she's big and she needs to grow into herself," noted Cambridge resident O'Sullivan.
"She doesn't have another race now for I think around a month, so we'll probably give her a little break and maybe qualify her and race her a week before her next stake race," he continued. "I think it will really benefit her. I think she'll appreciate it a lot, I think she really will."
Soiree Seelster will return to action in the Sept. 10 Champlain Stakes at Mohawk Racetrack and then wrap up her Gold Series regular season at Grand River Raceway on Sept. 19 and Mohawk on Oct. 3, with the season ending Super Final at Mohawk on Oct. 15. She is also eligible to the Nov. 11 Three Diamonds eliminations at Woodbine Racetrack.
"Let's just take one race at a time," said the pragmatic O'Sullivan. "Hopefully she stays healthy and sound, and if she keeps in the same direction she's in, we're going to probably have a lot of fun."
Soiree Seelster
Driver Sylvain Filion also piloted the winner of the second $105,000 pacing filly division, guiding Yaris Bayama to a gate-to-wire victory from Post 1. The filly rang up fractions of :27.2, :56 and 1:24.4 and then held off the charging Aint Three OK and Fade for a neck victory in a personal best 1:52.4.
Filion crafted the win for trainer Stephane Larocque of Carlisle, ON and owner-breeder Bayama Farms Inc. of Saint-Andre-D'Argenteuil, QC. The Sportswriter daughter now has one win and one second in Gold Series action, along with one Grassroots win, through four starts.
Yaris Bayama
Mohawk Racetrack's focus on Ontario Sired two-year-olds will wrap up on Monday, Aug. 15 with the fifth Grassroots division for two-year-old trotting fillies. The fillies will open Monday's program at 7:30 pm in Race 1 and also compete in Races 2, 5, and 9.
Ontario Racing