Sauble Amber becomes double Prospect Series Champ

LONDON, September 30 – Sauble Amber (Betterthancheddar) went off as a 1-9 favorite in her quest to repeat as Prospect Series Champion, and the three-year-old pacing filly did not disappoint her backers, cruising to victory in 1:58.0 to
win one of eight $15,000 Prospect Series Finals at The Raceway at the Western Fair District.

She won the 2021 Prospect Series Final in just her third start but came to the 2022 Final with a body of work worthy of the bettors’ heavy support.

She won three Prospect Series legs this year to go along with pair of conditioned victories.

When the gate rolled in race eight, driver Jason Ryan let her do what she does best. She went to the front and never looked back, beating Lolas Sunshine her closest challenger in the field of eight by five lengths.

“Once you stir her up, you can’t get her back,” said Ryan. “That’s why I kind of just slowly moved to the front today. I didn’t really care who left. I was just going to keep slowly moving there and hopefully get there.”

Ryan said the Sauble Hill Farms (Tara, Ont.), and Nasussito Racing Inc (Ayr, Ont.) homebred benefitted from an equipment change made by trainer Otis Hall, who added a pull ear hood. Ryan didn’t have to pull the hood, but it did its job otherwise.

“With the ear hood on she was a little more manageable,” said Ryan. “So, we’re just kind of building on that because once you stir her up, she’s gone. She’s a very fast filly.”

With three months left in her sophomore campaign, Sauble Amber will look to improve on her now over $40,000 in earnings this season.

“We’ve raced her off the pace a few times and she’s starting to learn, and she’s getting better,” said Hall. “So, we might try her at (Woodbine Mohawk Park) just in overnight racing. Get her right, where she’s racing off the pace, and fire home.”

Ryan’s victory with Sauble Amber in race eight completed a driving double that began in the first Prospect Series Final of the night, the two-year-old pacing fillies in race three.

Gimmie A Corona (Control The Moment) was the even money second choice in the seven horse affair, despite drawing the outside post position, speaking to the quality of the Guelph, Ont., resident’s charge.

“I was a little bit disappointed with the seven hole, but the trip worked out anyway,” said Ryan.

Ryan managed the outside post position nicely, settling off the early pace before moving up just before three-quarters of a mile on cover behind a first up Shes Truckin Now and tipping out in the lane to drive home for the win one-length win in 1:58.2.

Meg Crone, of Cambridge, Ont., trains the filly who now sports a career record of 5-0-1 from eight starts for owner 83 Racing (Toronto, Ont.).

Other highlights of the evening included He Will (Muscle Mass), a homebred for 88-year-old Bill Megens, winning the two-year-old trotting colts and geldings Final in 2:00.4 with Travis Henry (Embro, Ont.) in the race bike.

The colt now has four wins in his rookie campaign and boosted his career earnings to $18,150 for the Guelph, Ont., resident. He paid $2.30 for the win.

“I’ll be 89 next month, and 90 in another year,” said Megens. “I better start making my money because I intend to retire when I’m 100.”

Local driver Tyler Borth from Ingersoll, Ont., picked up a win in his return to The Raceway. My Holy Moley (Royalty For Life) won the penultimate race of the 10-race card, the Prospect Series Final for three-year-old trotting colts and geldings in a new lifetime mark of 2:00.0.

He is a Connie and David Chisholm homebred, trained by Connie. A May foal, and a big foal at two, he has overcome a clumsy nature to win three times this year from 13 starts as a sophomore.

“His name is My Holy Moley, but we said you didn’t have to live up to that,” said Chisholm. “So we finally started to get some speed under him, and he just started trotting great, and it was just like I get it now. He is going to be a nice horse, he’s just late.”

My Holy Moley paid $2.90 for the win.

Lune Duharas (Muscle Mass), a Haras De L Estrie In (Dunham, Que) homebred, was the longest shot winner of the eight Prospect Series Finals.

The three-year-old trotting filly paid $23.60 to win the fifth race in come from behind fashion, trotting home in 29.4 to win by a head in 2:00.3 for trainer Denis Guriel (Dunham, Que.) with Loic Guriel (Guelph, Ont.) in the bike.

“She’s a very nice mare,” said Loic. “She progressed every time, and now will be in the Harvest Series at Mohawk.”

Daniel Obrian of Cambridge, Ont., trains, owns, and drove the winner of the two-year-old trotting fillies Final.

Sant Ambroggio (Wheeling N Dealin) was heavily favoured in race six, going off a 2-5.

After a sitting off a first quarter of 30.2, Obrian moved his filly to the front in third panel and she trotted home in 29.2 to cruise to victory in 2:03.4.

In race four, Marshall Zhukov (Shadow Play) won his sixth start in a row but his first win for new owner Michel Lagace from Terrebonne, Que.

Freelton, Ont., resident Brett MacDonald picked up the drive for new trainer Richard Moreau and he waited patiently for room before blasting the two-year-old pacing colt to the front through the stretch for the first time, and take a lead he wouldn’t relinquish.

“He’s a nice colt, so he can overcome a lot,” said MacDonald. “It seemed like Mario wanted me to get in the two hole on the first turn, so I backed up to the three hole, and I went first up and he raced real good.”

The colt paid $2.10 for the win, pacing a mile in 1:58.3 in the process.

The final race of the evening was the three-year-old pacing colts and geldings Prospect Series Final, and Wilcat Rocky (Hes Watching) emerged victorious from the eight horse field.

The heavy favourite paid $2.20 for the victory and was worthy of the betting public’s support, leading gate to wire in a time of 1:56.4.

Thorton, Ont., resident Stephen Byron was in the bike for trainer Dale Heard of Beaton, Ont. Wildcat Stables Inc (Carrying Place, Ont.) and Antonio Tangreda (Kettleby, Ont.) own the gelding.

For complete race results, click here.

From the Ontario Sires Stakes