(Jockey SHANLEY JACKSON won four races at Ajax Downs on Sept. 26 including a $14,000 allowance race on Fames Winner who has won three times in 2016 - AJAX DOWNS PHOTO)
It was a four-win day for jockey Shanley Jackson, trainer Tom Dunlap scored a triple and stakes winner Alakazaam got back into the winner’s circle on a rainy September 26 at Ajax Downs.
The featured event on the 10-race card was the finale on a track that was drying out and a purse of $19,000 was up for grabs. Full Circle Racing and Cummings Cattle Co. were hoping to get their star 3-year-old
Alakazaam back on track after the flashy gelding was coming off his first two losses in a big year. Winner of the OSS Derby in July, Alakazaam had trouble at the start when he finished third to Country Boy 123 in the Ajax Challenge on Aug. 14 and then lost his rider in a trial for the Picov Derby.
Sent off as the 3 to 5 favourite with Jackson riding, Alakazaam broke well and charged from just off the leaders to win by a neck over Runaway Cause in a time of :17.020 for the 330-yards. The speed index was 90. It was the sixth win in eight races this year for the Maryland bred son of Mezoomn and he is trained by Greg Watson.
The rain was coming down for race 1 but there were plenty of smiles around
Miss Sixarun Lady who won the Ontario sired maiden allowance for owner and trainer Gerry Horton. Guided by Regan Knowles, the 3-year-old sorrel daughter of Sugarman Perry – Dancing Seis by Tres Seis rallied strongly from sixth place to win the 300-yard dash by a head. The race was hand timed and thus no clocking is available.
LS Prince, from the red-hot stable of owner Milena Kwiecien and trainer Jason Pascoe, won race 2, a maiden allowance for juveniles at 300 yards. The Texas-bred was making only his second career start following a fourth-place finisher in his debut on Sept. 4. Ridden by Josh Scott, LS Prince had a late surge to edge Indiana Downs invader Nex Favorite Bully. LS Prince, a son of Louisiana Senator – Princess Sixarun by Sixarun, was purchased for $7,000 at the Heritage Place Winter Mixed Sale this January.
The gelding sped the distance in :15.85 with a 9 km.hr tailwind for an 86 speed index.
The main track was downgraded to muddy by the time race 3 went to post, a speed index race with a mixed bag of runners including 11-year-old war horse Streaking Eye Opener, a nine-time career winner.
In driving rain, it was the maiden
Bubbles Cartel Gal who took the lead from post position 1 and rolled to her first career win for owners Bill Miller and Jason Pascoe. The sorrel 3-year-old filly had been competitive most of the season against the likes of top 3-year-old male Country Boy 123 and the shrewd bettors were keen on her chances as she went off at 5 to 2. Bubbles Cartel Gal, ridden by Ramiro Castillo, won in a time of :20.470 for an 86 speed index.
Race 4 was another speed index race and it was
Fast Tempered, making his 2016 debut, who won despite drifting out nearing the wire. Ridden by Max Badal for Picov Cattle Co. and trainer Joe Tavares, Fast Tempered is a Picov homebred by Fastazyoufly – Tempered Chick by Dash for Cash and it was his fourth career start. The 300-yards was run in a time of :16.040 or an 80 speed index.
Casino Love Mill won race 5, a $3,000 claiming event at 220-yards with her ears pricked as she seemed to relish the sloppy track. The 4-year-old bay filly was ridden by Shanley Jackson for owner Renee Wilson and trainer Tom Dunlap.
Casino Love Mill, who won in a time of :12.200, an 87 speed index, was claimed from the race by the Picov Cattle Co.
Well Worth It made her journey from Indiana, well, worth it as she won race 6, an optional claiming dash at 330-yards in the quick time of :16.960 for a 92 speed index. The bay mare was brought north by trainer Anthony Cunningham for owners James Barton, Ed Walsh and Michael Kurty and it was the 5-year-old mare’s first win of the season. Well Worth It has been stakes placed this season and was second her last appearance at Ajax: the Bank of America Challenge in July, 2014. Shanley Jackson rode the mare to victory this week.
Fames Winner, owned by Rick Crispi and trained by Tom Dunlap, won for the third time in 2016 in his ninth outing when he took race seven, a $14,000 allowance race at 250 yards for Ontario sired older horses. The four-year-old sorrel colt raced the distance in :13.450 for an 85 speed index. Shanley Jackson picked up another win on the afternoon.
Hal Bent, owned and bred in Ontario by Steve Hunter and trained by Janet Grice, dropped out of some tough spots and got a clean trip on his way to an allowance win in race eight. The son of Flick Me a Corona – HI Class to Shine, by First to Shine flew past his rivals to win this 250-yard dash under Tony Phillips in his eighth start of the year. He had been fourth in the OSS Derby behind Alakazaam earlier this year. The time of :13.590 was good for an 84 speed index.
Trainer Tom Dunlap sent out his third winner of the day when the filly
Winner on a Lark upset an allowance race at 300 yards in the penultimate dash on the card. The 3-year-old by Winners Award – Okay Dokey Lark by Okay Dokey Dale won a multiple horse photo by a nose at 27 to 1 under Ramiro Castillo for her third win of the season. Her time for the distance was :15.96 for an 82 speed index. Dream Chaser Farm bred Winner on a Lark and Renee Wilson was winning her second race of the day.
LEADING TRAINERS (from Equibase)
Tom D. Dunlap 158 32 24 22 $234,078
Don Reid 64 27 11 8 $224,675
Jason Pascoe 98 19 8 15 $132,946
Greg Watson 94 17 15 17 $214,679
Darlene B.Hunderup 126 12 17 13 $154,695
Bob Broadstock 74 12 13 13 $121,964
Joe Tavares 202 11 17 31 $199,854
Scott Reid 62 11 10 11 $125,681
Bryn Robertson 35 10 5 3 $116,813
LEADING JOCKEYS
Brian Bell 141 36 31 18 $326,822
Mike Holmes 123 26 20 16 $194,654
Cassandra Jeschke 108 22 20 17 $212,195
Ramiro Sanchez Castillo 82 20 5 14 $134,777
Cory Spataro 91 14 14 15 $187,324
Neil S. Husbands 109 14 14 13 $140,601
Chelsey Willick 106 11 9 22 $165,349
Tony Phillips 118 10 26 21 $190,847
LEADING OWNERS
Wincikaby, Richard/ DK Tr. Centre 45 20 8 5 $165,987
Heste Sport, Inc. 126 12 17 13 $154,695
Christine Tavares 102 6 12 17 $117,490
Rick Crispi 89 11 16 9 $108,083
Picov Cattle Co. 110 7 8 16 $98,926
Renee K. Wilson 52 18 5 12 $98,600
Full Circle Racing /Cummings Cattle. 28 9 5 7 $87,833
Full Circle Racing 31 5 5 5 $78,754
Ruth F. Barbour 11 6 1 0 $66,173
Richard W. Kennedy 23 5 4 3 $57,826
LEADING HORSES BY WINS
Country Boy 123 7 6 1 0 $64,739
Alakazaam 8 6 0 0 $49,685
First Down the Track 5 4 1 0 $46,398
Home to Vegas 4 4 0 0 $32,629
Cole Miner 6 4 0 2 $25,811
More Industry News