Pass Line (All Bets Off) became the fastest two-year-old harness racing filly in Ontario Sires Stakes history on Saturday (Sep. 2) in the $199,900 Gold fourth leg at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
She watched from fifth for driver Yannick Gingras as three lead changes in the first half produced :26.1 and :54.1 fractions. Gingras gave her the green light as the field headed for the far turn, and the filly pulled alongside leader Resilience (Louis-Philippe Roy) as they reached three-quarters in 1:22.2.
Pass Line turned on the jets at the top of the stretch, dismissing Resilience and soaring home to a mile time of 1:49.3 and a four-and-a-half-length triumph.
Itās a Love Thing (James MacDoanld) hustled home from ninth at three-quarters for the place cheque. Odds On Platinum (Sylvain Filion) was third off a pocket trip.
PASS LINE REPLAY
Pass Lineās mile also equaled the Woodbine Mohawk Park track record and Canadian record for a two-year-old pacing filly. She joined Lyons Sentinel, who set the standard in the Sheās A Great Lady in 2019.
Pass Line is six-for-eight in her rookie year and has won three Ontario Sires Stakes Gold. She leads the division with 162 points and has collected $267,202 in earnings. Dave Menary trains the filly for Burke Racing Stable of Fredericktown, Weaver Bruscemi of Canonsburg, and Frank Baldachino of Harvey Cedars.
The freshman pacing males also contested their fourth leg on the card. Mirage Hanover (Bettors Delight) brushed to victory in the $102,200 first division for his third straight Gold win. He was a half-length winner over Nijinsky (Roy), followed by Storm Shadow (Sylvain Filion) in third. Mirage Hanover, trained by Scott McEneny for Marvin Rounick, paced his mile in 1:51.2. He is riding a three-race winning streak and won a Nassagaweya division two back. The colt is four-for-seven with $206,560 in earnings and leads the pacing male division with 162 points.
MIRAGE HANOVER REPLAY
Funtime Bayama (Hes Watching, Filion) impressed in the second division with a front-end performance clocked in 1:50.1. He was clear near the wire, but Chain Gang (MacDonald) cut the margin down to a length-and-three-quarters. Legal Attack (Dexter Dunn) was 10 lengths behind in third. Funtime Bayama has won three straight ā two Golds and a Nassagaweya division ā after placing in his first two outings. The Richard Moreau trainee has a bankroll of $163,130 after five starts for owner/breeder Bayama Farms of Saint-Andre-DāArgenteuil.
FUNTIME BAYAMA REPLAY
The two-year-old pacers will complete their regular season on Oct. 1 at Flamboro Downs. The Super Finals will follow on Oct. 13 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
The Ontario Sires Stakes Golds were undercard events to the Maple Leaf Trot and Canadian Pacing Derby. To read about the Maple Leaf Trot, click here. To read about the Canadian Pacing Derby, click here.
For complete race results, click here.
by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink