MILTON, August 28, 2020 – Sorella set a Canadian record in her Woodbine Mohawk Park debut Friday to headline a quartet of stakes events for three-year-old trotters. A pair $81,405 Casual Breeze Stakes divisions for three-year-old trotting fillies and two $30,000 Goodtimes eliminations for three-year-old trotting fillies took place Friday. Sorella kicked the night off in style in the opening Casual Breeze split, crushing rivals by nine lengths in 1:51.3 for driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Nancy Takter. The clocking of 1:51.3 broke the previous Canadian and Track mark of 1:51.4 set by Ariana G and Manchego. A daughter of Muscle Hill, Sorella moved to the lead in the second-quarter and posted panels of :55.3 and 1:24.1 before saying goodbye to her competition with a :27.2 kicker. Whose Blues finished second, while Princesspartypants edged out She Rocks Kemp for third. Sorella is now five for seven on the season after going two for nine as a rookie. The Hambletonian Oaks champion has now made over $400,000 this season to bring her career total over $550,000 for owners Elmer Fannin, Crawford Farms Racing and Brent Fannin. The Takter trained Sorella is eligible to the upcoming Simcoe and Elegantimage. She paid $2.20 to win. McKees Angel rebounded from some recent miscues to win the second Casual Breeze division in 1:54.2 for driver Sylvain Filion and trainer Ben Baillargeon. Early action and movement settled down when McKees Angel and Filion powered to the top in the second-quarter from fifth, clearing just after a :56.4 half. Race-favourite Wine Rack Hanover sat in the two-hole, as McKees Angel led by three-quarters in 1:25.2. In the stretch, ‘Wine Rack’ took a shot at McKees Angel, but the Baillargeon turned her aside and trotted off to a 1:54.2 score. Susies Lady rallied from well back to finish a flying second, beat a length. Modern Mass was third, while Wine Rack Hanover was fourth. A daughter of Archangel, McKees Angel was making just her second start in the Baillargeon barn. She made a break in her debut on August 13 before qualifying on August 18. The Casual Breeze victory was her first in seven starts this season. McKees Angel now has three wins and $79,656 earned in 15 career starts for owner/breeders Legendary Standardbred Fa. of Mt. Morris, New York. Trainer Baillargeon confirmed that she’ll now head towards the Simcoe and Elegantimage. A $2 win ticket on McKees Angel returned $10.20. Rescheduled from mid-June, the Goodtimes for three-year-old trotters had a pair of eliminations contested to determine the field for next Saturday’s (September 5) final and the winners came from the same barn as the Casual Breeze. Fresh off a win in the Zweig Memorial, Ready For Moni posted a 1:51.4 victory for the team of Gingras and Takter. The son of Ready Cash moved to the lead in the second-quarter and hung up panels of :56.1 and 1:24.3 before closing out the victory with a :27.1 final-quarter. Play Trix On Me finished up in :26.4 to grab second, beat three-quarters of a length. Hayek was third, while Jula Trix Treasure and Hollywood Story completed the top-five to make next week’s final. Ready For Moni is now four for five this season with his only loss being a runner-up finish in the Hambletonian. He now sits at nearly $500,000 earned this season and sports career numbers of eight wins and $779,020 earned in 13 starts for owners John Fielding, Lindy Farms of Conn., Herb Liverman and Bud Hatfield. The betting public sent Ready For Moni off at odds of 1/9. Hp Royal Theo made the front in the second-quarter and trotted off to a 1:53.1 score in the other elimination for driver Louis-Philippe Roy and trainer Ben Baillargeon. The gelded son of Royalty For Life overcame the outside post-nine to score his fourth win in seven starts this season. Capricornus rallied for second, beat a length and three-quarters. Hot Wheelz, Lovedbythemasses and Stravinsky, also from the Baillargeon barn, rounded out the top-five. Hp Royal Theo came through last season in the William Wellwood Memorial final and could be set for more Grand Circuit success for owners Claude Hamel and Michel Damphousse. His career numbers now sit at seven wins and $424,040 earned. A $2 win ticket on Hp Royal Theo returned $8.90. Share This:Share
