Flamboro: Ontario Sires Stakes races featured on Confederation Cup undercard

Ontario’s Gold Series pacing colts served up impressive performances on the Confederation Cup program at Flamboro Downs on Sunday, May 20.

Super Final champion Western Passage picked up where he left off at the end of last season with a gritty 1:53 4/5 victory in the second C$66,400 Gold Series division. Parked outside pace-setter Levis Day from just before the 58 1/5 half right through to the finish, Western Passage got a nose in front to claim the third Ontario Sires Stakes victory of his career. Levis Day settled for second and Shadow Moon was two lengths back in third.

“That was a big back-half first-over,” said trainer Casie Coleman from the winner’s circle. “I was really happy with him tonight.”

Coleman shares ownership of the Sportswriter gelding with her partners in the West Wins Stable, John and McKinlay Fielding and Calhoun Racing Ltd. The win bumped the fan favorite’s lifetime earnings to C$244,680.

Driver Doug McNair’s appearance in the winner’s circle with Western Passage was his fourth of the evening and his second straight in Gold Series action. He captured the first Gold division with Backstreet Shadow for his father, trainer Gregg McNair, and owners Lindsey and Connie Rankin.

Starting from post two, McNair sent Backstreet Shadow to the front, and the Shadow Play gelding cruised home a one length winner in 1:52 3/5. Race favorite St Lads Neptune was second and Wind Blast was third. Sunday’s win was the second of the 2018 campaign for Backstreet Shadow, who was unplaced in two Gold Series starts as a 2-year-old.

“Backstreet was a fast horse last year, just a little immature,” McNair noted. “He’s really matured and seems like he’s on the right track to being a real nice horse.”

The fastest of the three Gold divisions, and the fastest mile of the evening, was clocked by Jimmy Freight and driver Louis-Philippe Roy in Race 11. The fan favorite hit the wire 6 1/4 lengths ahead of Chocolate Swirl and Burning Midnight in 1:51 3/5. It was the second win of the sophomore campaign for Sportswriter son Jimmy Freight, who was a two-time Gold winner at two and the runner-up to Western Passage in the Super Final.

“I don’t know what his limit is,” said Roy from the winner’s circle. “So far I don’t see — how he raced tonight — I don’t see much that can beat him.”

Roy engineered the win for trainer Richard Moreau and owner Adriano Sorella.

--press release (Ontario Sires Stakes)--