Flowing Tribute and Very Sassy each won a C$90,000 division of the Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) Gold Series event for 2-year-old trotting fillies on Friday (July 25) at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
In the first division, 4-5 favorite Flowing Tribute (Bob McClure) won the battle of the July 11 Gold winners with an easy gate-to-wire victory in 1:55 1/5. Timeless (Chris Christoforou) was 2 3/4 lengths back in second and Bingo Night (Tyler Jones), the other victor on July 11, closed well to be third. Calgary Morning (James MacDonald) and Lo And Behold (Louis-Philippe Roy) picked up the final checks in the field of nine.
"I never even started [Flowing Tribute] up tonight," McClure told Woodbine Mohawk Park broadcaster Chad Rozema. "That was like a training mile for her.
"[Off the gate] I looked over and I didn't see Tyler leaving [with Bingo Night]. I was surprised. And I figured if he had to come any amount of distance to come get us, he was going to have his hands full. And then I saw Jody [Jamieson driving Canukeepasecret] coming first-up. I figured we were kind of in an armchair right from there."
Flowing Tribute (Green Manalishi-Watch The Show) put up fractions of 27 3/5, 58 1/5 and 1:27 2/5 on her way to the win for trainer Paul Reid and owners Pat Dillon, Laure Rooney, Brian Kleinberg and Rick Beinhauer of Venetia, PA. Flowing Tribute, who paid $3.80 to win, was bred by Diane Ingham and Brenda Barnim.
The filly, purchased for C$30,000 at last year's London Classic Yearling Sale, is now a perfect two-for-two with earnings of C$90,000.
"I've waited a long time for a horse like this," Dillon said, giving credit to Reid for picking out Flowing Tribute. "He picked the filly out, asked me if I wanted to go in, and I said 'yes.'"
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In the second division, Very Sassy (Chris Christoforou) closed with a flourish to steal the victory away from front-stepping Barbara May (Doug McNair) by neck in 1:55 2/5. Figuratively (Tyler Jones) was third, followed by Cupid Hall (Travis Henry) and HP Crystaline (Louis-Philippe Roy). The other three horses, including even-money favorite A Splash Of Green (James MacDonald) all made breaks during the mile.
Very Sassy was sent off at 16-1 and paid $34.20.
It was the first career victory for the homebred daughter of Muscle Mass-Very Classy trained by Matt Bax for the Bax Stable and breeder Glengate Farm. Very Sassy is now 1-1-0 in three starts and sports earnings of C$67,850. Very Sassy was second to Bingo Night in the Gold Series opener on July 11.
Trainer John Bax, who will be inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame on Aug. 6, said he was, "a little surprised" how well Very Sassy has come along.
"She's a big, strong mare and she really didn't show a lot of quick speed, but I am impressed with her," John said, adding that training down, Very Sassy wasn't special. "You never know which ones are going to grab to bit and want to beat somebody, and if you don't have that you're not going to get far."
Barbara May led the field through fractions of 28, 58 1/5 and 1:27 1/5 with Very Sassy in the hunt the whole way.
--press release (Ontario Sires Stakes)--