SEPTEMBER 27, 2017 – Ontario's talented three-year-old trotting fillies brought Grand River Raceway's 2017 harness racing season to a thrilling conclusion on Wednesday evening as they battled to a track, Ontario Sires Stakes and Canadian record in the last race of the program.
With $125,000 and the last set of points toward a Super Final berth on the line, the fillies were swinging for the fences early. Delcrest Magicstar left alertly from Post 1 and led the field of 10 to a :27.1 opening quarter, but Sweet Of My Heart also fired out of Post 8 and sprinted by Delcrest Magicstar soon after the quarter pole. In full gear around the second turn, Sweet Of My Heart reached the halfway marker in a sharp :56.1 and had opened up a gap of two lengths on her peers by the 1:25.3 three-quarters.
Opting not to get involved in the early speed, driver Sylvain Filion had eased On A Sunny Day away from Post 3 and the fan favourites were sitting seventh at the quarter and sixth at the half. By the three-quarters Filion had tipped On A Sunny Day into the outer lane and the Muscle Mass daughter was gobbling up ground. She got a brief windbreak from Delcrest Magicstar, who led the field off the final turn, then kicked home to a one length victory. Delcrest Magicstar was second and Sweet Of My Heart stayed game for third.
"I knew when I saw the half :56 that I was in a good spot," said Filion. "I knew they had to come back to me, it was almost impossible for them to keep going that speed, so that was very good for me. She just trotted home, it was just like a training mile for her."
The 1:56 clocking took one-fifth of a second off the track, Ontario Sires Stakes and Canadian record first set by Sugar Wheeler in 2012 and then matched by Angies Lucky Star in 2013.
"I was a little concerned before the race, her last start was just so-so, she wasn't quite herself," noted Filion, referring to the filly's sixth-place result in the Sept. 16 Elegantimage Final at Mohawk Racetrack. "But tonight she was back to her old self and she just felt super."
The Milton, ON resident drives On A Sunny Day for trainer Luc Blais of Lochaber Ouest, QC and owner Determination of Montreal, QC. The victory was the filly's third in Gold Series action and she will lead the sophomore trotting fillies into the Oct. 14 Super Final with 180 points. In nine starts this season the daughter of Muscle Mass and Dicent No has posted five wins, two seconds and one third for earnings of $250,286. At two she captured four of six starts and banked $183,750.
"He's (Blais) done a great job with her all year, and last year too," said Filion. "I've got a lot of faith in that filly."
On A Sunny Day's connections will now be working to have her in peak form for the $225,000 Super Final at Mohawk Racetrack on Oct. 14. They will be looking for a little redemption for last year's Super Final when, sent off as the heavy favourite, On A Sunny Day made her first-ever break in stride and finished at the back of the field.
OSS Program Information
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Ontario Racing