AJAX, ONT—AUGUST 2, 2019—Fireball X15, under jockey Shanley Jackson, scored his first career win with a half-length effort over Shaken to set the top qualifying time for the Ontario Sires Stakes Futurity Sunday afternoon at Ajax Downs.

The 10 fastest qualifiers, from two trials for accredited Ontario-Sired 2-year-olds will return to Ajax Downs on Sunday, August 25th to vie for the winner's share of a $50,000-added purse going 330 yards.

Saddled by Jason Pascoe, Fireball X15 completed the 330 yards in :17.390 seconds to get the top qualifying mark. The son of Star Fire Dash entered the race off a third-place finish in the Ontario Bred Futurity in his last start July 14.

A homebred racing for owner-breeder Belinda Taggart, Fireball X15 is out of the Stel Corona mare Dazzlin Lady. He has compiled a (3) 1-0-1 record and banked $9,291 this season.

Taggart, who lives in Oakwood, near Lindsay, ON was choked up in the winner's circle after Fireball Xl5's victory.

"It makes me extremely happy because we lost his sire Star Fire Dash in April," said an emotional Taggart. "I hope this guy does him well."

The gelding, who was making his third career start and earning his first victory, was named after a popular British kid's show, Fireball XL5.

"I grew up in northern Ireland in the '50s and basically it was the first animated kid's cartoon.. It was about a bunch of little space people like Steve Zodiac, Venus and Robbie the Robot. It had a catchy tune and I watched it until I came to Canada."

Jockey Brian Bell rode A Lone Hand to an impressive 1-˝ length win in the opening trial to get the second fastest time of :17.420 seconds. Barry Wood conditions the Azure Down Three gelding for owner-breeder James Bogar. Out of the Srawfly Special mare Special Royal, A Lone Hand has a perfect 2-for-2 record and has earned $9,106. Wood, Pascoe and Bell also teamed to get the 10th qualifier Heros Return.

Azure Down Three was the leading sire of qualifiers with four finalist and Winners Award sired two.

For the complete list of qualifiers, times, sires, dams, owners, breeders, trainers and jockeys CLICK HERE.

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Also on Sunday's card, the rapid 4-year-old gelding Carneros scored his second track record at Ajax Downs in his last three starts. Owned by Milena Kwiecien and trained by Jason Pascoe, Carneros won the QROOI Sprint Series Dash at 220 yards in :11.780, beating the previous record of :11.80 set in 2013 by All Wacked Out. On June 16 the almost-black gelding won the first leg of the Sprint Series, a 110-yard race in a track record :6.77.

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Coming up at Ajax Downs is another installment of "10 Days of Winning Contest" on Aug. 11, the 10th annual Family Fun Day on August, 18 and Travel Day on Aug. 25.

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