Two days of quarter horse racing this week at Ajax Downs

There will be two afternoons of Quarter Horse action at Ajax Downs this week as we move into September racing. On Wednesday there are six competitive races scheduled including a very competitive field of 3 and 4-year-olds in race 5.

Among the contenders in the 330-yard sprint that offers an $11,000 purse is Magic Flare, who was the first starter, and first winner for her 20-year-old trainer Lauren Spada.  Magic Flare, an Ontario bred, won an allowance race on August 10 by a length under jockey Helen Vanek for Spada, one of the country’s youngest racehorse trainers. Spada, a third-generation horsewoman, took over the stable of horses trained by her father Craig, who owns Magic Flare. When Magic Flare sped to victory Lauren said her grandfather, the late Peter Spada, also a horseman, was in her thoughts.

“I was more than excited,” she said. “I was talking to my grandpa before the race, asking him for some luck.”

Spada will also send out the 2-year-old filly Seismick, who is in race 5 on Wednesday. Owned by her father and friend Matt Storms, Seismick is making her fifth career start and she comes out of a very troubled journey in the Ontario Sires Futurity on August 17. The stocky filly was third in a previous race when meeting fellow maidens.

Another Spada starter is Jessprimadonna, a speedy stakes-winning filly who is entered in race 4.

First race post time on Wednesday 1:30 p.m.

On Sunday, September 4 of the Labour Day long weekend, Ajax Downs will host its annual Race for the United Way Day with a silent auction, prizes, a mascot race and $2 betting voucher for a donation to the United Way BackPack Program. Sunday’s first race post time is 12:55 and the featured race is the final of the $50,000 Picov Derby for 3-year-olds.

With files from Jennifer Morrison