Innisfil, ON --- Competing under fair skies and on a fast track at Georgian Downs on Sunday evening (July 29), the Ontario Sire Stakes 2-year-old trotting colts and geldings took their game to a whole new level.
Kicking things off in the first $51,744 division was Jumpshot, who sprinted home to a neck victory in 1:58.2, a full second faster than any of the miles clocked in the first Gold leg, which was raced over a rain soaked Woodbine Mohawk Park oval.
Starting at post six, Jumpshot and driver Sylvain Filion got away in the middle of the nine-horse field and watched Montevideo lead the field to a :29.3 quarter and a 1:00.1 half. Heading for the 1:29 three-quarters fan favorite Tymal Houdini took control of the pace and Filion moved Jumpshot out behind attacker Allthefixins. Turning for home less than two lengths separated the top three colts, but it was Jumpshot who closed hardest to claim the victory. Tymal Houdini settled for second and Allthefixins was a half-length back in third.
“He was always a nice trotter and last time I raced him in Mohawk, when I re-moved to the front, he didn’t really want to clear, he tried to pull up a bit,” said Filion. “So tonight I was being extra careful to make sure he had cover and we were lucky enough to get a second-over trip, which helped a lot, and he felt really strong.”
Filion drives Jumpshot for trainer Jean Francois Maguire and owner Ecuries Richelieu Inc. The son of E L Titan-Chef Heartsalot finished third in the Gold Series season opener, getting caught in the stretch by Forbidden Trade and Tymal Houdini when he eased up. Prior to the July 16 season opener, Jumpstart had finished third in a June 21 overnight event and won a July 5 contest, both at Woodbine Mohawk Park, so Filion is confident that he will be able to add to his $37,230 in earnings.
“He’s very athletic and he’s got all the abilities to go fast, he’s just got to put it all together,” noted Filion. “Like most 2-year-olds, they’re all still learning and they each learn at their own rate. Sometimes you need to be patient.”
The second division saw Dream Nation scorch around the Georgian Downs oval to a 1:56.3 victory, equaling the track record for 2-year-old trotting colts and geldings. Southwind Avenger finished 3-1/2 lengths behind the fan favorite and Tymal Tullo was another half-length back in third.
Louis Philippe Roy was in his usual spot in Dream Nation’s race bike. Through three starts the pair has tallied three straight victories, two in Gold Series action, and $51,028 for trainer Jacques Dupont and owners Les Ecuries Dorleans Inc., Ecurie CS, Gestion C. Levesque 2005inc and Marc Camirand. The son of Archangel and Mississippi Dream was a $42,000 purchase at the 2017 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale.
The final division saw CT Conabra go gate-to-wire from post two, sailing home 6-3/4 lengths ahead of Magical Journey in 1:57.4. A Royal Line was five more lengths back in third.
The win was CT Conabra’s first, and came as a relief to driver Jody Jamieson, who had been alarmed when the Kadabra-Conway Connie colt faded to sixth in the Gold Series season opener.
“He’s always been training down like a monster, so when he raced quite sub-par last time out I was very concerned,” admitted Jamieson. “Dad (Carl Jamieson) said that he had been sick and that he couldn’t train him at all between the qualifier (July 3) and the first OSS, so he felt that was the only issue.
“I was as nervous for tonight’s race as I can remember being for a race in a long time,” the driver continued. “I always thought he was the second coming, so I felt him and I both had a lot of explaining to do if he raced sub-par again. Thankfully he was tremendous tonight and I really didn’t have any anxious moments after the gate got away.”
Jamieson shares ownership of CT Conabra with his father, trainer Carl Jamieson. The elder Jamieson purchased the colt from last fall’s Harrisburg Yearling Sale for $18,000 after he was sent back into the sales ring for a second time.
“I wasn’t really going to buy any horses at the Harrisburg Sale, I just happened to be there, putting in time, and I saw this horse come in and I looked at him and I said, geez that’s a nice colt,” the elder Jamieson recalled. “I didn’t bid him and it was stuck at $17,000 in the back, two guys at the back had a tie bid, so they said we’re selling this horse again. When they sell a horse again it’s usually just between them two guys, but the horse came in and they kind of waited what seemed like five minutes, and I said $18,000 -- sold. So I made one bid and got him.”
Once CT Conabra arrived at Jamieson’s farm he soon became convinced that his impulse buy had been an excellent decision. The colt was flawless from his first day in harness.
“I think I could’ve went in three minutes the day I broke him. He was a beautiful gaited horse, just beautiful gaited, easy, everything. I loved him,” recalled the trainer. “So we paid him up in everything, the Hambletonian for next year, all that kind of stuff. He’s a very nice horse.”
CT Conabra and his peers will have another opportunity to impress their connections in the third Gold Series leg on Aug. 9 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.