Grand River: Karma Seelster upsets in Battle of the Belles

27-1 offering Karma Seelster was able to get to the point from post eight and combined a good effort of her own with a break by 1-9 favorite Alicorn to prevail in the C$157,500 Battle of the Belles for Ontario-sired 2-year-old pacing fillies on Monday afternoon at Grand River Raceway. The final time for the mile was 1:54 4/5, a new career-best clocking.

Karma Seelster had won her elimination last Monday for driver Doug McNair and trainer Gregg McNair, but the open draw caught her out in post eight. She was able to get away well, though, and she made her way around Queso Relleno (Jody Jamieson) for the front before a stern 26 3/5 opening quarter. While that was going on up front, Alicorn (Louis-Philippe Roy), coming off a track record-equaling victory in her elimination, couldn't negotiate the first turn cleanly and made a break, though she was able to get back on gait.

McNair was able to steal a needed 29 1/5 second quarter with Karma Seelster to get to the half in 55 4/5, and although Alicorn kept chipping away on the outside in the first-over position, McNair kept the tempo easy in the next quarter as well, putting up a three-quarters in 1:25 1/5. Both Karma Seelster and Alicorn were looking for the wire through the lane, but Karma Seelster had the cleaner trip and the inside advantage as she held sway by half a length. Alicorn was a resilient second, followed by Temagami Seelster (J. Harris), Sound Idea (Chris Christoforou), and Queso Relleno.

"We made the lead and that was a pretty good quarter, but as soon as we made the lead I didn't hear anybody coming," said Doug McNair when he was asked if he knew Alicorn had jumped it off. "I figured Louis would move Alicorn to the lead going to the half, but he just came real nice and slow; I don't think he was getting around the turns. I could hear Louis talking to his pretty good at the three-quarter pole, so I knew his was going to be getting as tired as mine was, and I just needed to out-last him."

Karma Seelster, a Sportswriter-Kiddie Cocktail (Bettor's Delight) filly, is trained by Gregg McNair for owners Eileen Waples, Keith Waples, and Karen Hauver. Karma Seelster, who was bred by Seelster Farms Inc. and was purchased for C$127,000 at the London Selected Yearling Sale, has a record of 2-1-1 from four efforts, and she has put away C$119,118. A half-sister to Kendall Seelster (Shadow Play, 1:49 4/5, $641,111), Karma Seelster paid $56.90 to win.

"We had a little trouble a few times with her gait this winter, but she's really come along since she got back to Canada," remarked Gregg McNair. "Doug going out tonight, he said he was gonna probably race her real conservative. I thought she would be tough in front, but I saw that quarter, and I thought, jeez that's not an easy quarter or half, but she hung good. I felt real good until I saw the draw, and then I thought that's a big problem cause that's a good horse to the inside of us. I thought she'd probably be second-best, but she raced good.

"This is our home track, we're here quite a bit in the spring training these down, and I really like it here."