WOODBINE, ON — After roaring onto the provincial scene with a very impressive mile in a Trillium event last weekend, the two-year-old pacing fillies open their Gold Series season at Woodbine Racetrack on Monday evening.
Three divisions of fillies will impress Woodbine fans with their talent, including the top finishers from the June 21 Trillium Series contest at Georgian Downs that saw Lucys Fame roll under the wire in 1:57.2.
Rod Hennessy trainee Lucky In Lust endured a tough trip up the outside behind Lucys Fame to finish third in the quick mile and Hennessy says the filly should be even sharper in her Gold Elimination on Monday.
“She came out of it good and I trained her up today and she trained very well,” says the veteran trainer-driver. “I expect a pretty good start out of her Monday. I think the bigger the track, the better for her. She’s a big filly.”
Hennessy trains the Northern Luck filly for Edward James of Aurora, who offered up $17,000 for her at last fall’s Canadian Classic Yearling Sale, and will send her off the gate from Post 1 in Race 7.
The Harley resident will also harness Barona Champagne in the fifth race. A daughter of Albert Albert, Barona Champagne qualified at Flamboro Downs on Wednesday, romping to an impressive 15 length victory in 1:59.2.
“She qualified with a pretty big mile, 1:59.2. I had trained her over there pretty good so I thought if she went around 2:01 I’d go downtown (Woodbine), and she went a little faster,” he says. “She’s not a big horse, but she’s out of a pretty good family.”
Acquired at the Alberta Yearling Sale last fall by Lorne Duffield of Edmonton, AB and Robert Jones of Slave Lake, AB, Barona Champagne learned her early lessons under the tutelage of Hennessy’s wife Liz and her staff in Alberta, then shipped east for her final stakes preparation.
“She was very tough to break,” says Hennessy. “My wife and the crew in Alberta worked on her, they got her going good and shipped her down here when she was ready to go some good miles.
“Hopefully we can catch a little bit Monday and maybe make the Final.”
Hennessy will steer Barona Champagne from Post 5 in the second elimination, and the duo will face Trillium winners Lucys Fame and Carl Jamieson from Post 11.
Owned by Jarvis resident Jamieson, Glengate Farms of Campbellville and Karl Ungerman of Toronto, Lucys Fame has been raising eyebrows since she stormed onto the scene with a 1:58.4 qualifying win at Mohawk Racetrack on June 14. Sent off the heavy favourite in the June 21 Trillium the Apaches Fame daughter did not disappoint, hitting the wire seven lengths ahead of the competition in 1:57.2 and providing her owners with a full return on their $7,500 investment, plus interest.
Jamieson will also start S A Cheerleader from Post 3 in the third race and Taylor Lynne from Post 8 in the seventh.
Woodbine Racetrack sends its first race to the post at 7:40 pm on Monday evening and the two-year-old pacing fillies will strut their stuff in Races 3, 5 and 7. The top three finishers from each Elimination, plus one fourth-place finisher drawn by lot, will return to Woodbine on Monday, July 7 for the $130,000 Gold Final.