Gold Season begins for trotting fillies

15 trotting fillies will make their Ontario Sires Stakes Gold harness racing debut on July 3 at Georgian Downs, including Shiny New Penny (Alarm Detector) in the second division for trainer Benoit Baillargeon. She will be the first starter from Alarm Detector’s first crop.

The filly qualified twice at Woodbine Mohawk Park, setting a mark of 1:59.1 with a 28.4 final quarter in her most recent effort on June 24. 

“She trained really good all winter,” said Baillargeon. “I have trained three Alarm Detector fillies this winter who have all qualified, and this one has been the best of the three all the time.”

Alarm Detector was an O’Brien Award winner at two-years-old winning six of seven starts, including the William Wellwood. Baillargeon trained Alarm Detector, and has now trained three generations of the family on the dam’s side.

Shiny New Penny’s dam Im Peekers (Kadabra) was a promising racehorse but an injury during her two-year-old season limited her success, and her granddam Im A Munchie Girl qualified, but never made the races.

Im A Munchie Girl is out of the Balanced Image mare Image Control who produced Pure Ivory (Striking Sahbra), a winner of $1.4 million lifetime, and over $700,000 in the OSS.

“I think something really good will come out of this family and I think it’s going to be her,” said Baillargeon. “So far it has been good. She’s never done anything wrong.”

Shiny New Penny will face competition from another promising young filly in the second division who Baillargeon has a connection to. Righteous Resolve (Resolve) is out of Motown Muscle, a Muscle Mass mare who Baillaregeon trained. 

The daughter of Resolve is a full-sister to last year’s two-year-old trotting colt O’Brien Award winner Duly Resolved. She is also trained by John Bax, and will be driven by Paul MacDonnell.

“That filly I was really impressed with in her last race,” said Baillargeon. “The way she came home in 27 seconds. But tomorrow night it’s everyone’s first time under the lights. Lots can go wrong, and lots can go right. Hopefully everything goes right.”

In the first division Michael Keeling trainee Backstitch (Muscle Mass) is the morning line favourite at 2-1. The Muscle Mass daughter qualified in 2:00.3 at Vernon Downs on June 25. Paul MacDonnell will be in the race bike for owners Jim Winske, and George Ducharme.

For complete race entries, click here

by Austin Stanton, for Ontario Racing