Fashion Frenzie comeback highlights Gold card

It all went wrong for Fashion Frenzie in the harness racing $100,600 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold on Friday at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

But he recovered from an interference break, overcame a blind switch, and knifed through a wall of horses for the victory in his division for three-year-old male trotters.

Sylvain Fillion stacked the gelding three-wide into the first turn but contact with Buckys Angel (Wayne Mac Lean) caused both horses to gallop. Fashion Frenzie found the trot quickly following the incident and began to tear into his eight-length deficit at the quarter mile marker, which the field of seven passed in :27.

Fashion Frenzie remained sixth at the half in :57 but gained on the pylons as his rivals pulled to the outside. He was in the three-hole behind a gapping Lexus Kody (Trevor Henry) at three-quarters in 1:26.4 and needed a way through the three foes in front of him coming down the stretch. He found it after the eighth pole as Dealin With Dewey (Paul Mackenzie) bore out, and Fashion Frenzie exploded through the seam to snatch the victory in 1:55.1.

Dealin With Dewey finished second but was off stride at the line and subsequently disqualified to fifth for violating breaking rules. Lexus Kody rallied for third and was placed second. Royal Tyrone (James MacDonald) was promoted to third. The win price was $2.40.

FASHION FRENZIE REPLAY

The judges also posted the inquiry sign on Fashion Frenzie regarding the first-turn incident, but they decided he was not at fault and allowed him to keep the win. He is a three-year-old son of Archangel that has earned $265,175 and won seven times in nine career starts. Richard Moreau trains the $7,000 London Selected sale purchase for Ecurie Francis Richard Inc., Mario Bourgea, Pierre Guillemette, and Sylvain Richard.

“It was a very long wait, five minutes for the inquiry. The horse showed lots of go, but it was like nothing went his way,” said Moreau. “But the main thing is he won. He made $50,000 in his first start, and he won last week.”

Hp Mama B scored in the $102,200 first division for fillies – one of four three-year-old Gold divisions that went postward on Friday evening.

She worked on the outside as the field of nine traveled through the first quarter mile, and she got to the lead in a :27 opening panel. Sylvain Filion cut her a middle split breather as they hit the half in :55.3 and three-quarters in 1:24.2, and the filly returned the favour by opening up on her rivals in the stretch and gliding to victory. She set a new lifetime mark with the 1:53.3 score.

Imextraspecial (Trevor Henry) enjoyed a pocket trip but finished second by two and a half lengths, making little impact on the leader. Hawaii (Rick Zeron) finished strongly after a first-over attempt and took show. The winner paid $3.

HP MAMA B REPLAY

Hp Mama B, a daughter of Royalty For Life, is now 6-for-11 lifetime with $139,587 in earnings. Guylaine Picard of Guelph and Celine Paquin of Ayers Cliff share ownership of the filly and have assigned Benoit Baillargeon to training duties.

Up And Ready soared coming off the far turn and took her second lifetime win in the $102,200 third split for fillies.

She got away sixth in line to Doug McNair from post four and stayed in position through the quarter in :26.3 and half in :55.1. McNair tipped her two-wide on the backstretch and fanned the filly three-high at three-quarters in 1:25.3.

Up And Ready produced a big rush and blasted past all three foes in front of her as they straightened for home. The filly then cruised to the finish for a second career victory and a new lifetime mark in 1:54.3. Dicentra (Bob McClure) gave chase down the stretch but was three lengths behind. Stormont Barbecue flew from last and landed the show spot.

UP AND READY REPLAY

Up And Ready, who paid $5.50, has now accumulated more than $250,000 in earnings for Al Libfield of Pickering and Toronto residents Marvin and Lynn Katz and Sam Goldband. The Kadabra offspring has raced 11 times for trainer John Bax.

Logan Park pocket-popped late rolled by the leader in the $100,600 final division for colts and geldings.

Logan Park left sharply from post seven under the control of Jody Jamieson and slotted into second before reaching the first turn. No horse left the pylons as Publicity Seeker (McNair) led them through splits of :28.1, :57, and 1:25.2, and Jamieson waited until the eighth pole to pull Logan Park out of the draft.

Logan Park out-kicked his rival in the racetrack remaining and drew clear for a length-and-a-quarter 1:53.4 score. Publicity Seeker was well clear in second, five lengths ahead of Hp Running Mass (Louis-Philippe Roy), who was third. The winner produced a mild upset, paying $17.70.

LOGAN PARK REPLAY

Logan Park, an Archangel colt, improved his record to 4-for-15 lifetime with the win. The Robert Don Fellows trainee has now raked in $188,600 for Outofthepark Stable of Rockwood, Reg Higgs of Strathroy, and Arpad Szabo of Bradford.

Sylvain Filion topped the teamsters on Thursday with three winning drives. He maintained his slight lead in the drivers’ standings as second-placed James MacDonald missed the winner’s circle. Filion now has 62 tallies on the season.

Woodbine Mohawk Park welcomed fans back for the first time in 2021 on Thursday at 25 per cent capacity.

“It’s been just like qualifiers out here for the last eight or ten months without the fans,” McNair said on the broadcast after his win aboard Up And Ready. “[Having fans] really brings a lot of energy to the drivers and horses.”

High-level Ontario Sires Stakes action continues on Friday, Jul. 2 at Woodbine Mohawk Park with two Gold divisions for two-year-old filly pacers. That card begins at 7:00 p.m. EDT.

For full race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink