Adare Castle sharp in Ontario Graduate debut

2022 O’Brien Award winner Adare Castle (Muscle Mass) defeated strong trotting harness racing rivals in her seasonal debut in the Ontario-sired Graduate Series first leg on Friday (Apr. 14) at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

The Ontario Sires Stakes star circled leader Duly Resolved (Paul MacDonell) from the pocket in the second quarter to take over going to the half. The mare sailed to victory over her open rivals from there with mild encouragement from James MacDonald down the lane, stopping the clock in 1:53.2. Esplosione (Sylvain Filion) made late gains to finish second. Resolute Bay (Anthony MacDonald) narrowly held second.

ADARE CASTLE REPLAY

Adare Castle’s debut win improved her career record to 15-for-23 and her earnings total to $1,167,091. Her strong 2022, in which she won seven of her 13 races and raked in $668,654, earned her the Three-year-old Pacing Filly of the Year Award. Mark Etsell of Rockwood trains the mare and co-owns her with Robert Newton of Walkerton, Graham Hopkins of Chesley, and Peter Porter of Port Dover.

Speaker Nancy (Artspeak) charged home to upset at 11-1 in first leg for pacing mares. She was second-over turning for home and emerged from a five-horse line in deep-stretch to score in 1:50.3. She nabbed pacesetter I Love Ongait (Louis-Philippe Roy) at the wire, winning by a head. Goudawon (Bob McClure) was third by a neck.

SPEAKER NANCY REPLAY

Speaker Nancy was an Ontario Sires Stakes Gold contender last year, earning six digits for the season. The Shayne Barrington trainee has a $178,139 bankroll to date and six victories in 27 tries. Jamie Copley of Kenmore and Ottawabob Racing Stable of Ottawa share ownership of the mare.

The Ontario-sired Graduate Series will conclude with $75,000A finals on Saturday, May 6. The four-year-old pacers will begin their series with leg one on Saturday.

The Ontario-sired Spring Series also continued on the card with two second-leg splits for each gait. Airborne (Wheeling N Dealin, Bob McClure, 1:58.3) broke his maiden in the first trotting division, and Devils Arch (Archangel, Jody Jamieson, 1:55) took the second. Gandolf The Black (Shadow Play, MacDonald, 1:54.4) was best in the first pacing group, and No Control (Control The Moment, Tyler Jones) impressed by doubling his tally in the series and winning in 1:51.4.

The $40,000A finals of the series are set for Saturday, Apr. 22 at Woodbine Mohawk Park. The top 10 earners from each division make the last dance.

Woodbine Mohawk Park will continue racing on Saturday, Apr. 15 at 7:00 p.m. EDT. Ontario’s top stars will be in action with three separate open events and one leg of the Ontario-sired Graduate Series on tap.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink