INNISFIL, ON — Freshman pacing filly Taylor Lynne delivered a classic come from behind victory at Georgian Downs on Tuesday evening to earn her first Gold Final title and the lion’s share of the $130,000 purse.
As the starting gate pulled away from the field of eight talented freshmen, Taylor Lynne and driver Paul Mackenzie landed in second spot behind the filly’s stablemate Lucys Fame and trainer Carl Jamieson. As Lucys Fame carried the field through fractions of :27.2 and :56.4, Mackenzie sat patiently, waiting until the fillies were headed down the backstretch to shift Taylor Lynne into gear on the outside.
At the 1:26.2 three-quarters the Fit For Life daughter was a nose from the front and by the time she reached the top of the stretch she had a one and one-quarter length lead. Los Angeles challenged down the stretch, but Taylor Lynne fought her off to score the three-quarter length victory in 1:56. Wipethatsmerkoff finished five and a half lengths back in third.
After her impressive 1:56.3 elimination victory last week, Georgian Downs fans sent Taylor Lynne off as their top choice and the filly returned $4.70 to those with a win ticket in their pocket, $3.30 for a place voucher and $3.70 to show. Los Angeles, also an elimination winner and the fans’ third choice on Tuesday evening, returned $5.90 to place and show, while fifth choice Wipethatsmerkoff paid $5.40 to show.
Taylor Lynne is trained by Carl Jamieson of Princeton for his partners Jerry Jamieson of Blenheim, Gerald Rattray of Hamilton and Arthur Slack of Cumbria, England. A $15,500 yearling at Barrie’s Northern Standardbred Sale, Taylor Lynne has a record of two wins, one second and one third in five starts this season for earnings of $103,751. Jamieson’s other entry, Lucys Fame, faded to sixth.
Trainers Robert McIntosh and Bill Robinson also qualified two fillies for the Final, McIntosh’s Los Angeles finished second and Shes Camazing wound up seventh. Double Creme, the winner of the season opening Gold Final, was never a factor and finished fifth, while Robinson’s other entry Cohenikova was a hard closing fourth.
The two-year-old pacing fillies make their third Gold Series start at Windsor Raceway on July 30, while Ontario Sires Stakes excitement is back at Georgian Downs on Saturday, Aug. 16 with Grassroots action for the three-year-old trotting colts.