After 323 starts, Nickle Bag wins B track debut

Millionaire gelding Nickle Bag (Rocknroll Hanover) bowed out of the WEG harness racing circuit for the first time in his 11-year career on Monday (Jul. 11) and scored in his first trip to Grand River Raceway despite second-half gait issues.

The iron horse made all of his 323 previous pari-mutuel starts at either Woodbine Racetrack or Mohawk Park. He notoriously defeated 2015 U.S. Horse of the Year Wiggle It Jiggleit in 2016 at the Campbellville track.

On Monday, he put all six rivals behind him going into the opening bend and carried on to the quarter in :28. Driver Colin Kelly rated the gelding to a :57.2 half but came under fired from the pocket-popping Freddy Bear (Jason Ryan) on the backstretch.

Nickle Bag made a series of bad steps on the way to three-quarters in 1:26.1 and continued racing rough into the final turn. The 12-year-old, despite favouring a foreleg, put away Freddy Bear and sealed the victory in 1:55.

Devils Peak (Anthony Haughan) closed on the inside for place. Freddy Bear held third.

Nickle Bag’s victory was his 57th in 324 lifetime starts. He debuted at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Aug. 24, 2012 and has since made $1,290,270. Julie Robinson is the third member of the Robinson family to have trained the gelding, who is owned by Linda Loyens of Denfield.

Nickle Bag was placed on the vet’s list after the win.

The day’s card also featured two Preferred events and three divisions of the Prospect Series.

Aussie Lover (Angus Hall) was first up from three-eighths in the Preferred Trot and braved the draining battle with leader Sicario (Brett MacDonald) to draw clear at headstretch and win in 1:57. Sizzlen Hot Herbie (Natasha Day) circled from sixth to finish second. Jayport Hi Class (Greg Dustin) was third.

Gordon Remmen of Campbellville trains the five-year-old and shares ownership with a numbered company based in Sherwood Park. The gelding is 15-for-73 lifetime and has earned $143,185.

Ladies From Hell (Classic Card Shark, Tyler Borth) rode the pocket in the Fillies and Mares Preferred Pace, found a seam to swing out as they straightened for home, and rallied to a 1:56.3 victory. Catch An Ace (Haughan) could not hold off the winner and finished second. Saulsbrook Jessie (Samuel Fillion) took show.

Ladies From Hell has won 31 of her 144 career tries and has earned $206,962. Trainer Michael Sumner co-owns the eight-year-old with Shae Sumner; both are London residents.

Pocahontas Du Lac (Betterthancheddar, Fillion) dominated in the Prospect Series first division of leg 2A for two-year-old pacing fillies. She led from the start and left her foes six-and-a-half lengths behind as she romped in 1:58.2. Paddy Melt (Betterthancheddar, J. Bradley Harris) finished second. Shes Truckin Now (All Bets Off, MacDonald) was third.

Pocahontas Du Lac made three prior starts, all at Woodbine Mohawk Park, and finished no better than sixth. Eric Nadeau conditions the filly for the ownership group of breeder Louis-Philippe Roy, Pierre-Luc Roy, Maude Larouche, and Jean Allaire. The two-year-old is the second winner in the same number of starters for Art Major dam Sheissuchadream.

Lyons Ladyluck (Shadow Play) vaulted off a pocket trip to score for Haughan and trainer Anthony Beaton in the second group. Juliets Kiss (Bettors Delight, FIllion) and Badditude (Artspeak, Aaron Byron) took second and third, respectively.

Lyons Ladyluck was nosed out on debut at Grand River and floundered in the Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots on Jul. 5 at Woodbine Mohawk Park before the maiden-breaking win on Monday. Threelyonsracing of Brantford owns the homebred daughter of Somebeachsomewhere mare Lyons Magic.

Roman Gallery (Muscle Mass, Borth) captured the sole Prospect Series dash of leg 2A for freshman trotting colts. He was a neck better than P C Mercury Rising (Lookslikeachpndale, Curtis Clements) and a length clear of showgetter Danangus N Donald (Angus Hall, Don Rankin).

It was a maiden-breaking win for Roman Gallery, who broke on debut in the Grassroots at Clinton on Jul. 3. Desiree Jones trains the colt for Gino Toscani of Mount Hope. He bought the son of Angus Hall mare J Marie for $41,000 at the Lexington Select sale.

Grand River Raceway will host more Prospect Series action on its next card, scheduled for Wednesday, Jul. 13 with a 6:30 p.m. first post.

For complete Prospect Series standings, click here.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink