Bargain trotting filly strikes Gold in OSS debut
At 2h21, on July 7, 2021 • By NEWSROOM/ONTARIO SIRES STAKES
Two-year-old trotting fillies got their star turn at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Tuesday, July 6 and Adare Castle and Elegant Mermaid emerged victorious in their Gold Series debut.
In the first $101,400 division, fans liked the look of Adare Castle’s qualifying results — one win and one second — and sent her off as their top choice. The Muscle Mass daughter and driver Bob McClure of Rockwood, ON left well from Post 4 and had established command before the :29 opening quarter. They cruised along on the front end through a 1:00.1 half and 1:30 three-quarters and then kicked home to a four and three-quarter length win in 1:57.4. HP Felicity finished second and Needa Little Magic was third.
Rockwood resident Etsell purchased the filly at last fall’s Black Book Yearling Sale in Timonium, MD for a modest $10,000, a price that had him double checking his catalogue and going over Adare Castle with a fine tooth comb looking for a flaw he had missed in his initial inspections.
In the second $102,200 Gold division driver Sylvain Filion of Milton, ON used a similar strategy with Elegant Mermaid from Post 8. Sent to the front soon after the :28.1 opening quarter, Elegant Mermaid sailed through a :59 half and 1:29.1 three-quarters before pulling away to a two and one-quarter length win in 1:57.3.Fan favourite Grace finished second and Lovin Julie was third.
Elegant Mermaid, another daughter of Muscle Mass, is a recent arrival in the Ben Baillargeon barn and the Guelph, ON resident was impressed with her Ontario Sires Stakes debut.
“I didn’t have her this winter. She wintered in (New) Jersey at Andy and Julie Miller’s. They’ve taught her everything,” said Baillargeon. “She’s such a natural gaited trotting filly that she’ll make money because she will trot on every track. I wish she was a little bigger maybe, but sometimes the best things come in little packages, right. So right now I am very pleased with her. She’s well behaved, she trots nice and there’s not much else I can say about her, I only had her one week. I might look like a genius but I didn’t do the work on her really.”
Daniel Plouffe of Bromont, QC and Alexandra Verret of Magog, QC share ownership of Elegant Mermaid, who qualified twice at Gaitway Farm in New Jersey before shipping north for her Ontario stakes engagements.
The two-year-old trotting colts make their Gold Series debut at the Campbellville oval on Thursday, July 8.
