Grand River Raceway: Menary exacta in Battle of the Belles final

Trainer Dave Menary sent out the first- and second-place finishers in Monday afternoon C$163,840 Battle of the Belles for 2-year-old pacing fillies at Grand River Raceway, with favored Quebec Blue Chip leading her stablemate Ideation Hanover across the wire in a 1:55 1/5 effort.

With Jody Jamieson at the lines and starting from post three, Quebec Blue Chip's job was made easier when both post one starter Shesonehotwriter (Sylvain Filion) and post two occupant Kylie Seelster (Doug McNair) made breaks in stride right at the start. That allowed Jamieson to fire his filly out and seat Ideation Hanover (James MacDonald) on the opening bend. Quebec Blue Chip would go on to hit the half in 28 and the half in 57 2/5, with Powerful Chris (Bob McClure), who had been able to tuck into fourth from the outside post eight, working up first-over off the second turn.

Powerful Chris was still at the wheel of Quebec Blue Chip as the three-quarters flashed up in 1:26 2/5, but Powerful Chris had no more to give on the final bend, as Quebec Blue Chip kicked on and Ideation Hanover followed her. MacDonald angled out to take a shot at Quebec Blue Chip at the top of the lane, but the pace-setter remained strong, winning by about half a length. Village Joules (Louis-Philippe Roy) tracked the top-two finishers from third and held that position to the wire. Kylie Seelster overcame her early bobble to work out a second-over trip and finish fourth, and Powerful Chris faded to finish.

"With post three, it was easy to just kind of fall off the gate," remarked Jamieson. "It was unfortunate the one and the two broke stride, but it just opened the door for us, moreso than we thought it already was."

A daughter of Sportswriter, Quebec Blue Chip is trained by Menary for the ownership group of Menary Racing Inc., Michael Guerriero, Kenneth Ewen, and Bruce Norris. She has a record of 3-1-1 from five starts, and she pushed her earnings to C$118,888. Bred by Blue Chip Bloodstock Inc., Quebec Blue Chip sold for $40,000 at the Standardbred Horse Sale and is out of the Bettor's Delight mare Haze's Zure Bet (1:54 4/5, $85,440). This makes Quebec Blue Chip a half-sister to Nvestment Blue Chip (Shadow Play, 1:49, C$566,188). Menary also trained Nvestment Blue Chip when he was a 2- and 3-year-old.

The 7-5 favorite, Quebec Blue Chip paid $4.80 to win.

"I love coming to Industry Day. It's been a lot of fun, the colts and the fillies. We got them ready for half-mile tracks and today we took advantage of it," said Menary. "To be honest going into the first turn, I'd have rather seen Ideation Hanover on the front, just with the five-hole I didn't think she'd be able to cross over. When I saw them line line up one-two, I was very confident."