TORONTO — The $30,000 second legs of the Valedictory and Niagara Series were contested on Monday night at Woodbine, with a pair of repeat winners and a longshot making the trip down victory lane.
In the first Valedictory dash, JJ Shark, who was an opening round division winner, captured the lion’s share of the purse for trainer Peter Hamilton and driver Randy Waples.
After JJ Shark followed behind fractions of :26.4 and :55.1, which was put up by Autumn Gottem (Mike Saftic), the 9-5 favourite launched a first-over attack from fifth.
JJ Shark took command past the three-quarters in 1:24.3, just before using a 27.2 final frame to seal the deal by three lengths over Boxcar (Jody Jamieson). The three-year-old pacing gelding stopped the teletimer in 1:52.1. Donau (Luc Ouellette), who was a divisional winner in week one of the series, was third.
“I couldn’t be happier with him,” said Waples. “He is a really nice horse. He had to race a big mile tonight and showed that he can do that. Last week he got a real nice, sweet, easy trip and this week he had to rough it. He was just as good this week, if not better. I’m glad about that, but it all comes down to the post position (for the final).”
The son of Cams Card Shark-Give Me Life, who was winless as a rookie, has a lifetime record of 8-4-6 from 28 outings and $68,406 in career earnings.
JJ Shark is owned by Joseph Hemingway, Valorie Sutton and Sandbur Farms.
He returned $5.70 to win.
In the other Valedictory division, Doowrah Omelet and driver Keith Oliver pulled off a 14-1 shocker.
The Richard Moreau pupil got away sixth while stablemate Gareth Nourrir (Sylvain Filion) put up the opening panel in :26.
As soon as a pocket-pulling BJs Guy (Rick Zeron) was taken to the front before half in :55.2, Curious Phoenix (James MacDonald) struck the front past the mid-way point and marched by the three-quarters in 1:24.
In the stretch, Doowrah Omelet, who had tracked a first-over ER Room (Mike Saftic), was then tipped off cover and rallied to score the three and a quarter length win. In a career-best performance, the upsetter stopped the clock in 1:52.1. Curious Phoenix finished second and Gareth Nourrir held on for third.
“He raced great tonight,” said Oliver. “I talked to Sylvain (Filion) before the race and he told me what the horse was like. Richard (Moreau) had another entry in there. I got lucky and pick up that horse.
“The race just set up well for him,” he added. “The cover went and the flow was good.”
The homebred son of Threefold-Embryo, who was unraced as a freshman, has a lifetime record of 6-4-2 from 17 outings and $41,334 in career earnings for owner/breeder Edwin Harwood.
He paid $31.80 to win.
The Valedictory is for sophomore pacing colts and geldings, who are non-winners of $50,000 lifetime as of October 31.
Also on the programme, Oliver and Oceanview Bindi, another repeat winner, captured the lone $30,000 second leg division of the Niagara Series.
The George Plyley-trained Oceanview Bindi got up in the final strides to lower her lifetime mark to 1:53.1.
The sophomore pacing filly got away sixth behind Trauma Unit (Randy Waples), who put up a :26.3 final quarter. Aubsession (Billy Davis, Jr.) wasn’t content with the two-hole and moved to the front before the half in :56.
Before Aubsession clocked the three quarters in 1:24.3, the 7-5 favourite, Oceanview Bindi, tracked a first-up Apach Of Luck (Scott Zeron).
In deep stretch, Oceanview Bindi vaulted off cover and used her signature late-closing kick to win by a nose. Apach Of Luck finished second and Aubsession faded to third.
“Around the last turn I was (concerned about the flow),” said Oliver. “The front horse (Aubsession) was getting away from us pretty good, but my filly stepped up.
“Last week was the first time I had ever driven her and she was incredible,” he added. “I moved her three-deep in the turn (last week), which you can’t do with many horses here (at Woodbine). She paced straight through it, strong to the wire, and she did the same tonight.”
The daughter of Hunterstown-Hygeia Hanover, who was unraced as a two-year-old, has a lifetime record of 10-4-3 from 20 starts and career earnings of $69,565 for Plyley and William Roloson.
Oceanview Bindi returned $4.90 to win.
The Niagara is for three-year-old pacing fillies, who are also non-winners of $50,000 lifetime as of October 31.
The $60,000 Valedictory and Niagara finals are slated for Woodbine’s Boxing Day card (Wednesday, December 26), which will have a special 1:00 p.m. post time.
Live racing returns to the Toronto oval Thursday night with a 10-race programme. First race post time is 7:10 p.m.