OTTAWA, JULY 21, 2019 – Six divisions of three-year-old trotting colts battled over the Rideau Carleton Raceway oval on Sunday evening and All Wrapped Up saved the best for last – a 1:54.1 track record in the final Gold Series harness racing split.
All Wrapped Up and driver Louis-Philippe Roy charged away from Post 5 and as they rolled through fractions of :28.4, :58.1 and 1:26.1 two lengths in front of their peers there was little doubt about the eventual outcome of the race. The only question was how fast the fan favourites would go and whether the Rideau Carleton track record was in jeopardy. Down the stretch Roy kept his foot on the accelerator and when All Wrapped Up powered across the finish line almost four lengths ahead of Jumpshot and Gold Edition, the teletimer delivered the news – 1:54.1, a new track record.
"I always thought he was one of the best of his division, if he behaves," said Roy, who drives All Wrapped Up for trainer Robert Fellows. "Tonight Robert made a few changes on his equipment, adding trotting hopples, and he was all business. He was still very strong at the wire."
All Wrapped Up's impressive mile took three-fifths of a second off the former 1:54.4 track record set by Try Try Again in August 2017 and matched by Dream Nation in the second Gold division on Sunday.
Rockwood, ON resident Fellows shares ownership of the Archangel gelding with Arpad Szabo of Bradford, ON and Blair Corbeil and Mike McAllister of Beaumont, AB. Sunday's victory was All Wrapped Up's first in Gold Series action. In his three previous Gold Series appearances, one as a two-year-old and two this season, the gelding had made breaks and finished well back of the leaders. When the fractious youngster made his fourth miscue of eight starts in a July 12 overnight event at Woodbine Mohawk Park Fellows decided it was time to try the trotting hopples and the decision paid immediate dividends, giving All Wrapped Up his sixth career win and pushing his earnings to $83,313.
All Wrapped Up's record setting mile came on the heels of Dream Nation's track record equalling performance in the second $71,467 Gold division. Unlike his record-setting peer, Dream Nation stalked fan favourite Southwind Avenger through fractions of :28.4, :57.4 and 1:26.4 before sprinting down the stretch to a head victory in 1:54.4. Southwind Avenger settled for second and Esa was three lengths back in third.
Sylvain Filion drove Archangel son Dream Nation to his first Gold Series win of the season for trainer Jacques Dupont and owners Les Ecuries Dorleans Inc. of Repentigny, Ecurie CSL of Sorel-Tracy, Gestion C. Levesque 2005 Inc., St-Hyacinthe and Marc Camirand of Montreal, QC.
The other Gold Series division went to Only For Justice and driver Chris Christoforou, who cruised through fractions of :29.2, :58.3 and 1:28.1 on their way to a one and three-quarter length win in 1:56. Manatlas finished second and JMR Pinarello was well back in third.
It was the second Gold Series win, and third of the season for Only For Justice, who also captured his division of the Gold Series opener at Flamboro Downs before running into his own early season hiccups.
"He win at Flamboro, easy, so we think he can be all right in the (June 15) Goodtimes and the next (June 24) Gold, but he make a mistake in the Gold and he was sick in the Goodtimes Final," said Dany Fontaine, who trains Only For Justice for Ecurie Gaetan Bono Inc. of Montreal, QC.
"But after that he had a rest for two weeks and we go to Three Rivers (July 12), and at Three Rivers the competition is not very strong, you know, so he have a good training," said Fontaine of the Justice Hall son's win in the July 12 leg of the Breeders Cup Series. "And tonight, you know a short field like that and this horse he likes to leave the gate, he was good. He's a nice horse."
Sunday's win moves Only For Justice into second spot in the three-year-old trotting colt Gold Series standings with 100 points, 25 behind leader Southwind Avenger.
In addition to the Gold Series divisions, Rideau Carleton Raceway also hosted three Grassroots divisions with CT Conabra, Royale Elite and Cool Clifford emerging victorious.
Sunday's start marked CT Conabra's sophomore debut. The Kadabra colt and driver Doug McNair led through all stations before trotting under the wire one length in front of fan favourite Southwind Frost in 1:56.1. Archway rounded out the top three.
Richard Moreau of Puslinch, ON trains CT Conabra for Brad Grant of Milton and Jason Badder of Thamesville, ON.
Fan favourite Royale Elite and driver Jonathan Drury took command heading for the half and held off a closing Fitzgibbons to secure a three-quarter length victory in 1:57 in the second division. Lifetime Royalty finished three lengths back in third.
Shawn Steacy of Guelph, ON trains Royalty For Life son Royale Elite for owner-breeder Hudson Standardbred Stable Inc. of Hudson, QC.
Cool Clifford went gate-to-wire from Post 3 in the third $22,800 Grassroots division. The Kadabra gelding and driver Sylvain Filion hit the wire in 1:56, three-quarters of a length ahead of Isnt He An Angel and four ahead of Judge Ken.
Scott McEneny of Waterdown, ON trains Cool Clifford, who started his season at the Gold Series level, for Brad Grant of Milton and Martwest Racing Stable of Mississauga, ON.
The three-year-old trotting colts and geldings will make their next Ontario Sires Stakes starts at Woodbine Mohawk Park, August 12 for the Gold colts and August 19 for the Grassroots contenders.
Ontario Sires Stakes action returns to Rideau Carleton Raceway on Sunday, August 25 with Gold and Grassroots action for the three-year-old pacing fillies.
Complete results from Sunday's program are available at https://standardbredcanada.ca/racing/results/data/r0721ridcfn.dat.
OSS Program Administration
Ontario Racing
Woodbine Mohawk Park