Preview Racing


Trials On Tap Wednesday For Richest Race of Ajax Downs Season
Milena Kwiecien's SW The Redeemer, shown winning at Canterbury Park August 11, is a contender in the first of two Trials for the Alex Picov Memorial Futurity Wednesday at Ajax Downs.

© Heather Grevelis/ Canterbury Downs
Trials On Tap Wednesday For Richest Race of Ajax Downs Season

AJAX, ONT—OCTOBER 3, 2021—Seventeen 2-year-old Quarter Horses will vie for a spot in the final for the $100,000 Alex Picov Memorial Futurity in two Time Trials at Ajax Downs on Wednesday (Oct. 6th). The Picov Futurity is the richest race of the Ajax Downs meeting and the final will be held on October 27.

The Trials, at 400 yards, are races three and four on a strong 10-race card that also includes the third leg of the Quarter Racing Owners of Ontario Distance Series, to be run at 440 yards.

The first Futurity Trial, worth $8,000, has a formidable trio from the barn of leading trainer Jason Pascoe. Both Sw The Redeemer and Eye Live For Candy, owned by Milena Kwicien of Burlington, are making their Ajax Downs debuts after beginning their careers in the U.S. SW The Redeemer, the first foal of multiple Ajax Downs winner Rockin Miss Kitty, recently won his maiden at Canterbury Downs in Minnesota after finishing second beaten only a neck in the $71,000 Minnesota Quarter Horse Futurity in his previous start. Ricardo Moreno will ride the bay gelding from post position five.

Eye Live for Candy, a brown filly, won a Trial for the $137,000 Northland Futurity at Canterbury but was bounced around out of the gate in the final and lost all chance. Ismael Mosquiera gets the mount.

The third Pascoe trainee is Belinda Taggart's Ontario bred Kold Kinda Star who was third in the Ontario Bred Futurity and fourth in the Ontario Sires Futurity.v FIRST COLD WAVE will be heavily favored to take the second Trial against eight rivals. The Ontario sired and bred son of first year stallion Cold Hard Dash won the Ontario Sires Futurity on Sept. 15 for his third win in five races. Owned and bred by Robert Bailey of Oakwood, ON, First Cold Wave starts from post nine with Brian Bell riding.

Ontario Bred Futurity winner Night Leader, second to First Cold Wave in the OSS Futurity starts from post one for Scott Reid and John Wilson with Carly Furlonger riding. Impressive debut winner Lethal Tres Seis, owned by Richard Wincikaby and trained by Michelle Woodley, is another contender and he has post position eight with Cory Spataro riding.

The Alex Picov Memorial Futurity has been won by great Canadian Quarter Horses such as One Kool Wave, Jumping Guitar, Had to Be Ivory, and last year, Streakinlilwagon was the winner for Jason Pascoe.

The October 6 co-feature is race eight, the $20,000 QROOI Distance Series, leg 3 headed by Spy For The Senate, who won the first leg of the series, Maryland Magic, winner of the third leg of the Sprint Series, and multiple stakes placed Countrys Comin Bac. First race post time on Oct. 6 is 12:55 p.m. (EDT).

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To pre-register to attend the day of racing, go to ajaxdowns.com and sign up beginning Sept. 20.

Be sure to check out ajaxdowns.com for race selections, live streaming, and a free pocket program on race days as well as the latest news. You can watch and wager on the Ajax card at Horseplayer Interactive, hpibet.com. Follow Ajax Downs on Twitter and Instagram @AjaxDowns.

If you would like information on how to get involved in owning a Quarter Horse or to join a syndicate, contact the Quarter Racing Owners of Ontario at qrooi.com.

The races are streamed live on the Ajax Downs Facebook page and its new Youtube page YouTube page.