The 2021 Quarter Horse racing season at Ajax Downs is only two days old and already the women riders have taken a firm hold of the standings. One week after Rachael Isaacs won three races on the opening day of the meeting, her first wins of her career, Helen Vanek won half of the eight-race June 23 card while Cassandra Jeschke notched her first win of the season.
'Hurricane' Helen's four victories on the afternoon included a winning ride on
SPY FOR THE SENATE in the featured eighth race, a $13,000 allowance race that drew Horses of the Year Fiesty Icon and Had to Be Ivory. The 5-year-old Spy for the Senate, owned by Milena Kwiecien and trained by Pontypool's Jason Pascoe broke smartly from post position six in the 300-yard dash, was in an early duel with stablemate Carneros and then surged at the finish to win by a nose. Countrys Comin Bac, owned by Ralph Pearson was a strong second in his season debut and Had to Be Ivory closed fast to finish third after a slow start. Fiesty Icon was seventh. Spy for the Senate, now a nine-time winner from 30 starts with over $147,000 in earnings, ran the distance in 15.239, good for a hefty 101-speed index.
Two races earlier, Vanek rode another Kwiecien stallion,
MARYLAND MAGIC, to that horse's 10th career win on the same day his first foal to race, Blazin Magician, finished second in a 2-year-old maiden race. Both Spy for the Senate and Maryland Magic do stud duty in the winter and race in the summer.
"They are both such classy horses," said Vanek. "They go out and race, never do anything wrong. tThey are a pleasure to ride." Vanek also won on Belinda Taggart's Ontario sired and bred 2-year-old Keepr of the Stars and
Kk Blue Cartel, the first horse ever owned by Doug Hart, a longtime employee of the gelding's trainer and co-owner Craig Spada.
Racing at Ajax Downs continues Wednesday, June 30 with a 1:30 p.m. post time and you can watch and wager at HPIBet.com.
The races are streamed live on the Ajax Downs Facebook page and its new Youtube page at
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCE0iAexYgANFxwnJVS8HYdg.
For news and updates, follow Ajax Downs on Twitter and Instagram @AjaxDowns. For more information on how to become an owner or syndicate member of a Quarter Horse, contact the Quarter Racing Owners Ontario, Inc. at
www.qrooi.com.
Spy for the Senate's victory -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFDx9mCaZR8
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Katina Milns photo
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