REXDALE, ON — Ontario’s talented three-year-old trotting fillies spring back into Gold Series action at Woodbine Racetrack on Monday after tackling North America’s finest in the Colonial Lady and Elegantimage Stakes in June.
The local lasses held their own against the American invaders, especially reigning Gold Final champ Dietrich, who captured her Elegantimage Elimination and finished second to the indomitable Cameron Hall in the $586,100 Final.
Dietrich will attempt to add another notch to her win column from Post 9 on Monday night and driver Chris Christoforou is much less concerned about the outside post than he would have been six races ago when the strong willed filly made her 2002 Ontario Sires Stakes debut.
“You never want to be that far out, but she’s pretty experienced now so I expect her to overcome it,” says the Campbellville resident. “It was a bit of a wrestling match in her first couple starts, but she is definitely getting better.”
Christoforou’s father and trainer Charalambos acquired the filly last fall after she delivered a disappointing and frustrating freshman season for US-based trainer Jimmy Takter. The Freelton resident and partners Banjo Farms of Toronto, William Jones of Lexington, KY and Makis Chrysomilas of Nicosia, CY liked the daughter of Mr Lavec and Rich As Sin all winter, but they were all pleasantly surprised when she stepped up to win the May 20 Gold Final.
“Dad doesn’t get too high on any of them, but he thought she was going to be a nice filly,” recalls Christoforou. “I thought she would do well (in Gold Final). I didn’t really think she would win, but I thought she had a good shot to be in the top three.”
As a result of her history of making breaks behind the starting gate, Christoforou raced Dietrich from off the pace up until the June 22 Elegantimage Final when he sprinted off the gate into second spot.
“We had been racing her from off the pace and when you do that you have to hope the fractions work out,” he says. “But in her last start I left with her pretty good and she got away second. She is a lot more manageable now. If she’s on her game I think she is the best filly in there. “
Their growing versatility should stand Dietrich and Christoforou in good stead on Monday as they face off against a field of eight, including last year’s division champ Pepi Lavec from Post 4.
Woodbine Racetrack sends its first race onto the track at 7:40 pm and shines the spotlight on the three-year-old trotting fillies in Races 2 and 4. The top five finishers from each Gold Elimination will return to Woodbine on Monday, July 22 for their second of five $130,000 Gold Finals.