Flamboro: Favored fillies prove best in Ontario Sires Stakes races

Trainer Scott McEneny had Sunday's 3-year-old trotting filly Gold Series leg at Flamboro Downs circled on his calendar as soon as the Ontario Sires Stakes schedule was published.

His filly, Warrawee Vicky, is a handy, good gaited filly who can tour a half-mile track as fast as she can a larger oval, and the fourth Gold Series leg looked like a good spot to pad her point total.

Starting from post five, and with the rail horse scratched, Warrawee Vicky fired off the starting gate to a 29 second quarter. Through a 59 1/5 half and a 1:28 4/5 three-quarters, the fan favorite and driver Doug McNair never saw a challenger, and the pair cruised home 1 3/4 length winners in 1:57. Susies Lady finished second, and She Rocks Kemp was six lengths back in third.

"She is very handy on a half. I was kind of glad they had one here because she won two of them last year, Grand River and here. I wish they had the Super Finals on the half," said trainer Scott McEneny with a laugh. "She is very handy."

The win was the Royalty For Life daughter's third in Gold Series action this season; she was also victorious in the July 2 season opener and the July 26 event at Rideau Carleton Raceway. In addition to her Gold Series engagements, Warrawee Vicky has also battled North America's best in open stakes action at Woodbine Mohawk Park in recent weeks, finishing fifth in her Aug. 28 Casual Breeze division, winning her Sept. 11 Simcoe Stakes division in a personal-best 1:54 and finishing well out of the money in the Sept. 19 Elegantimage.

"She won two weeks ago in the Simcoe, and then last week she was in with Ramona Hill and that, it was way too tough and she got roughed up the first-half, got a little tired," said McEneny. "So, we just kind of worked on her all week, looking forward to this race, and she did it pretty handy."

Brad Grant owns Warrawee Vicky, who boosted her lifetime earnings to C$375,048 with Sunday's win and moved well out in front of her peers in the 3-year-old trotting filly standings with 175 points. The top 10 point earners advance to the Oct. 17 Super Finals, which will actually take place at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

In the second C$105,600 division, Massive Flirt and driver Jody Jamieson were sent off as the favourites from post two. The duo got away second behind Trina, watched GP Dreamin and Wine Rack Hanover go off-stride in the outer lane, and then snuck up the inside to take the lead when Trina veered out wide coming out of the first turn. From there, Massive Flirt put up a 28 4/5 quarter, 58 1/5 half, and 1:27 3/5 three-quarters, and powered home to a 3 1/2 length victory in a track record 1:55 4/5. Magic Cape finished second, and Modern Mass completed the top three in the mile, which also equaled the Ontario Sires Stakes record for 3-year-old trotting fillies on a half-mile track.

"Pretty cool to have a track record, and the filly was simply the best tonight," said Jamieson. "She's been a hard hitter this year but, fingers crossed, she's got it down pat now."

Trainer Jeff Gillis and Mac Nichol bred and own Massive Flirt, who was also a winner in the July 26 Gold leg at Rideau Carleton Raceway. With two wins, one fourth, and one fifth the Muscle Mass daughter currently sits second in the division standings with 113 points.

--press release (Ontario Sires Stakes)--