Georgian Downs: Two-year-old trotting fillies start their Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Series season

One night after hosting the Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots season opener for the 2-year-old trotting fillies, Georgian Downs rolled out the red carpet for their Gold level peers, who stepped up the tempo as they battled for a total of C$200,000 in three divisions.

HP Titania Runner captured the first Gold Series victory of the freshman trotting filly season with a 1:58 3/5 effort that saw her get away mid-pack from post seven and then power up the outer lane to catch pace-setter and favorite Angies Luckeylady. Accelerating down the stretch, HP Titania Runner opened up a 5 1/4 length lead over Angies Luckeylady and Warrawee Ultra.

Louis Philippe Roy piloted the E L Titan daughter to the win for trainer Rene Bourassa and owner-breeders Claude Hamel and Michel Damphousse.

Three races later, Roy was back in the Ontario Sires Stakes winner’s circle after guiding Cambridge Kate to a 1:58 3/5 score. Starting from post six, Roy eased the Royalty For Life filly away from the gate and settled her in seventh as favored Shesa Sweetheart led the field to a 28 4/5 quarter and a 58 4/5 half. Heading for the 1:28 3/5 three-quarters, Roy sent Cambridge Kate into the outer lane, and turning for home the filly rolled out around the two horses in front of her and stormed to a 1 3/4 length victory. Champagne Jane and Witches N Angels also reeled in Shesa Sweetheart to earn second and third-place honors.

“She’s got lots of speed, I think she’s got lots of speed,” said trainer Carl Jamieson of Cambridge Kate. “She can leave too, I mean he didn’t leave there at all tonight — and I was a little worried when he got away next to last — but she really closed excellent.”

Jamieson conditions Cambridge Kate for his partners Glengate K Farms and Dr. Robert Boyce. The partners acquired the filly from the 2017 London Selected Yearling Sale for C$44,000 and she has banked C$35,280 with a win and a third in her first two starts.

“She’s been good all along. Since the day we broke her she’s had no problems whatsoever,” noted Jamieson. “Anybody could train her all winter, like going sets, she didn’t make breaks or nothing, she’s always trotted good.”

Trainer John Rier felt the same way about Giving It All through the winter, and the filly rewarded his confidence with a 2:00 2/5 victory in the last C$66,400 division. Starting from post five, Giving It All and driver Mike Saftic took command early and trotted through fractions of 29 4/5, 1:01 and 1:30 4/5 before battling down the stretch to a three-quarter length victory over favorite Petro Hall and Pyrrha.

“She raced good, she’s a very good gaited filly,” said Saftic. “The track’s a little deep there, a lot of the other fillies were having a hard time, but she was good. We got her good fractions, and she gutted it out down the lane.”

Rier shares ownership of Giving It All with his brother Randy Rier. The brothers offered up C$12,000 for the Angus Hall daughter at last fall’s London Selected Yearling Sale and have recouped C$36,700 with one win and one second through the filly’s first three starts.

“I don’t know how fast she’ll end up being, but she’s got that nice gait, and she’s got gate speed, and she moves real nice,” noted Saftic, who has driven the filly in all of her races and qualifiers. “We’ll see down the road, but we’ll take that one.”

Giving It All, Cambridge Kate, HP Titania Runner and their peers will make their second Gold Series start on July 27 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

--press release (Ontario Sires Stakes)--