CAMPBELLVILLE, ON — Fresh off a sweep of the Robert Stewart Stakes at Mohawk Racetrack last week, Ontario’s talented two-year-old trotting fillies will square off in four Gold Eliminations at the Campbellville oval on Tuesday evening.

Hoping to maintain the momentum she has built through her first three starts, including wins in the Grassroots, Trillium and Robert Stewart Stakes, Pure Ivory makes her Gold Series debut from Post 8 in the first race and breeder Harry Rutherford is looking for another strong effort from the daughter of Striking Sahbra and former Ontario Sires Stakes star Image Control.

“We have had some decent luck along the way, but I’ll tell you, this filly really stands out in my mind,” says the Mount Pleasant resident. “She’s kind of an awesome filly.”

Along with her flawless record, Rutherford has been impressed with the filly’s maturity and manoeuvrability. In her 1:58.4 Robert Stewart triumph Pure Ivory and driver Steve Condren landed in second, moved up the outside to the lead and then allowed Cost Certainty to go by before regaining control heading around the last turn.

“I’m just an observer, but it appears to me that she’s just a dream to drive,” notes Rutherford. “Steve (Condren), you can tell by the big grin on his face when he gets to the winner’s circle, he’s pretty happy with her.”

Rutherford shares ownership on Pure Ivory with Milton resident Condren and Jerry Vanboekel of Bright. The trio bought shares in the filly after trainer Brad Maxwell plucked her out of the Forest City Yearling Sale for $62,000 last fall.

“Brad and I were talking and he said, �Harry, you’ve been yakking that you like this filly, why don’t you take a piece?'” recalls Rutherford. “I knew he was going to piece her out, so I said, �Okay, but just a quarter though.'”

The filly qualified July 5 at Mohawk, trotting around the seven-eighths mile oval in 2:02.3 on the same day that the Gold Series fillies made their racing debut. Rather than head for the second Gold event at Ottawa’s Rideau Carleton Raceway on July 28, Maxwell opted to start Pure Ivory in the Grassroots season opener on July 2 at Kawartha Downs and the filly delivered an effortless six length victory in 2:01.3.

“Brad didn’t intend to start her that early, he’s kind of a careful guy,” says Rutherford. “Once he raced her in the Grassroots, and Steve drove her, they both put their heads together and thought this filly was something special.

“I’ve heard Brad say a couple of times, the big thing with this filly now is to manage her carefully. That’s why she didn’t go up to Ottawa. He said, she’s got all these big races, and she can’t go to all of them,” adds the breeder.

Following her Grassroots success, Pure Ivory captured a Trillium Series division at Kawartha Downs on July 19, trotting around the five-eighths mile surface in 2:01.1, and then enjoyed a few weeks of rest and relaxation before claiming her Robert Stewart split on Aug. 16.

On Tuesday the winner of $51,307 will face off against three veterans of the Gold Series, two other fillies making the leap up from the Grassroots program and two newcomers to the Ontario Sires Stakes scene. Her toughest competition is expected to come from two-time Gold Elimination winner Patsy’s Point, who will make her bid for a top two finish from Post 6.

Only the top two finishers, plus two third-place finishers drawn by lot, will return to Mohawk Racetrack for the $130,000 Gold Final next Monday, Aug. 29. The talented freshman trotting fillies will battle for one of the coveted spots in Races 1, 2, 4, and 6 on Tuesday’s program, which gets under way at 7:20 pm.

For a complete list of entries please go to:

http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/entries/data/emohstu.html