A Rushn Lilly carries the hopes of her owners, Five Fillies Racing, into the Trials for the Unclassified Stakes on June 5

AJAX DOWNS, ONT–JUNE 3, 2024–There is no shortage of horsepower on the fifth day of Ajax Downs' 2024 Quarter Horse meet with two trials for the $30,000-added Unclassified Stakes plus another appearance by two-time Horse of the Year Had To Be Ivory, who headlines a super Open Race filled with stakes stars. The June 5 card begins with a first race post time of 1:30 p.m.

The Unclassified Stakes, inaugurated in 2023 for horses who are just below the top-level stakes horses, has two competitive Trials at 330 yards for 3-year-olds and upward.

One of the newest ownership groups at Ajax, Five Fillies Racing, is excited at the prospects of their filly, A Rushn Lilly who is in the second Trial, race five. Five Fillies is made up of first-time racehorse owners Melissa Slute from Oshawa, Nadia Faccin from Uxbridge, Vanessa Lawson-Dulny from Whitby, plus trainer Chantelle Bourgeois.

A Rushin Lilly, the fifth 'Filly,' won the first race of the 2024 Ajax Downs season, picking up from where she left off last season when she won her season finale. The owners acquired the fast filly early in 2023 with help from the Quarter Racing Owners of Ontario's Horse Acquisition Program, which offers an interest-free loan to purchase a racehorse. A Rushn Lilly, an Ontario sired and bred 4-year-old with two wins from seven races, is a contender in the second Trial with Cassandra Jeschke riding.

"She’s coming into the race great," said Bourgeois. "She’s really sharp. We just need to see if she can carry her speed a bit farther [distance] this year, and I think she can. She’s matured a lot over the winter, both physically and mentally."

A Rushn Lilly's main competition on Wednesday could come from recent winner Expediant, who won the Mayor's Cup Maiden on May 22 for John Wilson and trainer Scott Reid. Carly Furlonger will ride the 3-year-old filly. Owner and trainer James Bogar has two talented starters in the field, both fillies: Senator Rose and Lady Alice.

The first Unclassfied Stakes Trial, race four, has the stakes-placed filly, Cindy Loo Who, owned by Robert Bailey, meeting Heste Sport's gelding Sugar Boy Perry and four others.

*Hold on to your saddles as Wednesday's sixth race, an Open allowance at 300 yards, is sure to be a thrill for fans. The race has attracted a stakes-caliber field, including the remarkable 9-year-old Had to Be Ivory, who comes off an easy win in the Norman Picov Maturity on May 15, his 26th career win. The field also includes 2021 Horse of the Year First Cold Wave and stakes winners Spy For The Senate and Sour Candy plus four other speedsters who will try to conquer the champ.

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*Parking and admission are always free at Ajax Downs. You can watch and wager on the race's trackside or from the expansive simulcast room. Wagering is also available through www.HPIBET.com. Do you have a group or company event? Call ahead to reserve the trackside VIP room to enjoy food, drink and mutuels. Want to get involved in Quarter Horse ownership? Contact the QROOI at 905 - 426-7050 for details.

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