Ontario bred Had To Be Ivory, a champion and track record-setter, makes his 2022 debut in a star-studded Picov Maturity on Wednesday at Ajax Downs.

© Clive Cohen / New Image Media

AJAX, ONT–MAY 31, 2022–Ontario Quarter Horse racing fans are in for a treat on the fourth day of the 2022 Ajax Downs season, Wednesday with the ninth running of the $29,880 Picov Maturity for older horses and two trials for the $50,000 Princess Derby for 3-year-old fillies.

In addition, Ajax Downs' 2021 Horse of the Year First Cold Wave makes his local return in the day's sixth race, an allowance race at 300-yards.

The Picov Maturity, which is race eight, has attracted most of the top older horses in Ontario including Horses of the Year Had To Be Ivory and Country Boy 123. Each gelding has won two editions of the Picov Maturity which is at 300 yards.

Had to Be Ivory, an Ontario bred owned by Carol and Jaime Robertson and trained by Bryn Robertson comes off another stellar campaign in which he won three of six starts including the Ontario Bred Maturity. The 7-year-old was the 2019 Horse of the Year and he has 16 career wins in 22 races. He will be ridden for the first time by Josh Scott in the Maturity and he's had a couple of quick workouts preparing for this first start of 2022.

Country Boy 123, owned and trained by Ruth Barbour, is the richest Canadian-based Quarter Horse in history with earnings over $500,000. Now 9-years-old, the three-time Horse of the Year had an interrupted campaign in 2021 when pestered by a minor ailment. He was winless in five races last season but finished the year with a good finish when fourth in the Indiana Championship in October. Ed Walton will ride.

Two tough horses from the Milena Kwiecien and Jason Pascoe team are also in the field, Maryland Magic, winner of last year's Alex Picov Championship and already a winner in 2022, and Carneros, winner of the Sprint Series #1 on May 22, are contenders.

The ultra-consistent Countrys Comin Bac, a 14-time winner, the filly Streakinlilwagon, winner of the 2021 Picov Derby, and Jessaprimadonna, winner of the 2021 Princess Derby are also in the strong field. Fury Dot Com and Countryfried Chicken complete the line-up.

FIELD FOR THE 9TH PICOV MATURITY
$29,880, 300 yards, post time 4:39 p.m. (EDT)

The complete lineup, in post position order, with jockeys, trainers and morning line odds:

1. STREAKINLILWAGON               J.B Botello          J Pascoe 10-1
2. MARYLAND MAGIC                   I Mosquiera        J Pascoe 10-1
3. COUNTRYS COMIN BAC          C Jeschke          D Reid 4-1
4. COUNTRY BOY 123                  E Walton             R Barbour 7-2
5. FURY DOT COM                        R Isaacs             P Burne 12-1
6. JESSAPRIMADONNA               H Vanek              C Spada 8-1
7. HAD TO BE IVORY                    J Scott                B Robertson 3-1
8. CARNEROS                               B Bell                 J Pascoe 8-1
9. COUNTRYFRIED CHICKEN      R Moreno          J Pascoe 6-1

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Races two and three on Wednesday are 350-yard Trials for the Princess Derby. The ten fastest qualifiers will advance to the June 19 final. Stakes placed Eye Live For Candy and recent winner Oh My Gawd should contend in the first Trial. The second Trial is headed by two fillies with impressive wins already this season: Dawns Early Light and Scarletts Cartel.

First race post time on Wednesday is 1:30 p.m. You can watch and wager on the exciting day of racing trackside at Ajax Downs or on HPIbet.com. The races are live-streamed at ajaxdowns.com.

Be sure to come out to an exciting days of at Ajax Downs. You can also watch and wager on all the races at www.HPIbet.com.

For more information on racing dates at Ajax Downs in 2022, including all the special event Sundays, visit www.ajaxdowns.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (@ajaxdowns). To find out more about owning your own Quarter Horse or to join a syndicate, contact the Quarter Racing Owners of Ontario at www.qrooi.com.