INNISFIL, ON — On Saturday evening at Georgian Downs three-year-old pacing filly Lady Dillinger finally delivered what her fans have been waiting for and her foes have been fearing — a star performance that earned her the Gold Final hardware and a new track record.
Leaving from Post 1 Scott Coulter floated off the starting gate with the D M Dilinger daughter and sat fourth as Helena Handbag and then Lucks Mistress guided the field through sharp fractions of :27, :55.1 and 1:23.3. Heading for the three-quarter pole Coulter sent Lady Dillinger up the outside and by the time the fillies turned for home the pair were just a quarter length behind the leader.
Tattootina closed hard and kept the pressure on Lady Dillinger, but the filly displayed some of the grit that earned her the division title as a two-year-old and pulled away to a one and a quarter length victory in a track record 1:52.3, two-fifths of a second faster than the 1:53 mile clocked by 2002 Ontario Sires Stakes star Precious Delight.
Two-time Gold Final champion Lady D M Could not overcome Post 9 on Saturday and settled for third, while fan favourite Lucks Mistress faded to fourth through the stretch.
The win was the first this season for Lady Dillinger, who has struggled to regain her freshman form through her first five starts. Under the tutelage of Nat Varty in the season opener, the winner of $511,402 finished third in her elimination but could only manage a seventh in the Final.
Owner Gaetan Hebert of Waterdown guided the filly through much of her freshman campaign and he decided to bring Lady Dillinger home and resume responsibility for her training just before the second Gold Series but the filly delivered another seventh place effort, failing to make the Final for the first time in her career.
Scratched out of the June 20 consolation due to sickness, Lady Dillinger appeared to have some of her former snap in last week’s elimination round at Georgian Downs when she toughed it out on the outside and finished third, four lengths behind winner Lucks Mistress in the 1:54 mile.
On Saturday fans were cautiously optimistic about Lady Dillinger’s chances and sent her off as their fourth choice, behind Lucks Mistress, Lady D M and Tattootina. Her track record effort delivered a $16.10 return on a win wager, $7.30 for a place ticket and $6.40 for each show voucher. Tattootina returned $4.20 to place and $3.40 to show and Lady D M’s third-place performance was worth $2.70 to show.
The 1 – 5 exactor returned $90.00, adding Lady D M in for a triactor play delivered earnings of $405.30 and a superfecta with the top four fillies in correct order returned $909.95.
Lady Dillinger will have an opportunity to defend her Gold Final title on Aug. 7 at Flamboro Downs, when the three-year-old pacing fillies make their fourth Gold Series appearance of the season. Ontario Sires Stakes excitement returns to Georgian Downs on Tuesday, July 12 with the talented two-year-old trotting colts squaring off in their first ever $130,000 Gold Final.
For complete results please go to:
http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/results/data/rgeodfsa.html