Mass Attack impresses in City of London second leg

Mass Attack was the standout performer in the eight City of London Series second leg harness racing divisions on Friday (May 20) at The Raceway at Western Fair.

The gelding laid down a new fastest time for three-year-old trotters on a half-mile track in Canada as he secured a sweep in his City of London preliminary legs.

The four series finales go to post on Friday, May 27 on the Camluck Classic undercard. The City of London is open to four-year-old Ontario-breds with earnings of no more than $10,000 before Feb. 28, 2022.

Below is a recap of the day’s second leg dashes.

Race 1 – pacing fillies and mares

Rockabillycockshut proved deserving of her 1/9 billing with a two-length 1:58.4 victory after shooting to the lead, performing a first-quarter give-and-go, and battling off challengers from the half. Lyons Believer (Anthony Haughan) fought first-over and was game in second. Million Angels (Scott Coulter) finished third.

Lacy McCabe trains the winner, a homebred for Glenview Livestock of Wallenstein. The Bettors Delight filly’s win was her second lifetime in five tries. Her earnings now total $11,476. She was second by a neck on May 13 in the first leg.

Race 2 – trotting fillies and mares

Larrys Girl (Jason Ryan) prevailed in 2:01 after a second-half tussle with P C Livingadream (Scott Young) to go two-for-two in the City of London Series. The latter was a neck behind after a first-over bid. Magnolia Lane (Natasha Day) took show.

Larrys Girl, a four-year-old daughter of Il Sogno Dream, has now won three straight and five of her last six. The Francis Guillemette trainee is six-for-14 lifetime with $40,670 in earnings. Jody McClure of Rockwood co-owns the mare with a numbered company.

Race 3 – pacing horses and geldings

Docsphillycheese took the lead on the third time of asking for Garrett Rooney and made it the right time, as the colt swept by Donoghue Seelster (Travis Henry) at the top of the stretch for the 1:57.2 score. The winner was denied the front in the first and second quarters before making a successful charge in the final panel. Delightful Wine (Scott Wray) finished second over leg one winner Leavin Bruises (Coulter), who gained 10-and-a-half lengths in the last quarter.

Docsphillycheese is now two-for-eight lifetime for trainer Britt Kennedy, who co-owns and co-bred him with Moneyclip Racing of Morpeth. The sophomore Betterthancheddar colt has earned $12,730.

Race 5 – trotting horses and geldings

The 13th time was the charm for Guinness. The three-year-old Muscle Mass gelding enjoyed a garden trip after relinquishing an early lead and stormed up the inside late to pass flagging and drifting leader Livingontherail (Aaron Byron) to set his first career mark in 2:00.4. Livingontherail was comfortably second. Tymal Shamrock (David Boughton) finished third.

John Bax trains the winner for Bax Stables, The Cavalier Stable, Goin To The Show Stable, and Ken Bax. Guiness has earned $19,146.

Race 6 – pacing horses and geldings

Almost The Boss (Coulter) was dead game after a front-end trip but claimed the win as the surging Airy Shadow (Haughan) broke stride in the dying stages. The latter held onto second as Yarm (Henry) closed late but for third but could not get lapped on.

Harry Poulton trains Almost There Boss for The Stable’s Almostthereboss ownership group. The three-year-old Sunshine Beach gelding has won two of 10 career starts and has earned $20,046.

Race 7 – trotting horses and geldings

Mass Attack swept his City of London legs in a wire-to-wire score for Young and became Canada’s fastest trotting three-year-old on a half-mile track of the season. He held off Maple Leaf Bound (Haughan) for the new mark of 1:58.3. Come Home For Life (Boughton) narrowly grabbed the show placing.

The winning gelding, a son of Muscle Mass, has won twice in six career tries and has brought in $16,055 for owner/breeders Peter Clements of Dobbington and Barry Klages of Owen Sound. The clocking beat Renegade Gypsy’s 1:59.2 effort for the best time by a sophomore gelding on half-mile track in Canada in 2022. It was also quicker than The Champ Champ (1:59) and Clockwork Orange (1:58.4), whose half-mile times were the fastest for three-year-old trotting colts and fillies, respectively.

Race 8 – trotting fillies and mares

Kickin Your Mass (Haughan) jetted away to win by six lengths in 1:59.3 after popping the pocket on the backstretch and quickly dispatching leader Completed Promise (Jean Bernard Renaud), who finished second. Kilmartin Passion was third for Tyler Borth.

Kickin Your Mass’s victory was her first in three career tries. Meg Crone trains the sophomore daughter of Muscle Mass for breeder and owner John Clark of Caledonia.

Race 9 – pacing fillies and mares

Lyons Princess made the contest academic as she cruised to a 1:57.4 start-to-finish romp for Haughan. She was three-and-a-quarter lengths clear of Ezbriesybeautiful (Coulter), who was well clear of third-place finisher Barstow Belle (Ryan Desroche).

The winner, a three-year-old Lyonssomewhere filly, made her debut this year and is four-for-12 with $27,600 in earnings. Anthony Beaton trains her for Threelyonsracing of Brantford.

The purses for the finals are as follows:

• Pacing horses and geldings – $30,200.
• Pacing fillies and mares – $29,600.
• Trotting horses and geldings – $26,400.
• Trotting fillies and mares – $25,200.

The Raceway at Western Fair District will open for racing again on Monday, May 23.

For full race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink